Canadian intern at NATO military headquarters in Belgium faces spying charges

A Canadian woman who was an intern at NATO's military headquarters in Belgium has been arrested on spying charges, Belgian prosecutors said Saturday.

"She is suspected of spying on behalf of a third country and of being a member of a criminal organization," the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

The woman was as an intern at NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in the Belgian city of Mons, it said. The prosecutor's office described her as a Canadian national of Chinese origin, but it didn't name or provide more details of her identity. It did not specify the third country or criminal organization to which she's allegedly linked.

"As the matter remains under investigation, we are not in a position to comment on specifics at this time," Public Safety Canada said in an email to CBC News on Saturday.

"Canadians can be assured that all Government of Canada law enforcement and intelligence agencies maintain strong relationships with partner agencies that assist in addressing threat-related activity like those described in relation to the arrest made in Belgium on Thursday."

CBC News has also reached out to Belgium's Federal Public Prosecutor's Office for more information.

Home, workplace searched

SHAPE is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's top military headquarters, the base of Allied Command Operations, which is responsible for planning and carrying out all operations of the 32-member transatlantic security alliance.

The suspect had come to the attention of SHAPE’s security services, which reported her to Belgian intelligence officials, according to the statement.

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Investigators searched the suspect's home and her workplace at SHAPE, and she was placed under arrest on Friday.

A SHAPE spokesperson said there was no indication that NATO or SHAPE operational readiness, command and control arrangements or ongoing tasks had been affected.

"SHAPE continues to fulfil its responsibilities without interruption."

The prosecutor's office said it would make no further comment as investigations continued.