A Chinese national was arrested at the German Navy’s Kiel Naval Base after being discovered in a restricted area.
According to police, the man refused to provide identification or explain how he gained access to the base. He was found carrying a camera, and his phone was seized during the arrest, which took place on December 9.
According to reports, the man remains in pre-trial detention while prosecutors consider charges of taking security-sensitive photographs of military installations.
The Kiel Naval Base, located on the Baltic Sea, is home to Einsatzflottille 1, one of Germany’s key naval units, which includes submarine squadrons and the Navy Special Forces Command. The base is also critical for submarine production, with ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems operating dry docks for building advanced naval vessels.
This incident comes as German security agencies increase their warnings about espionage threats from China. Earlier this year, Kiel canceled plans to partner with the Chinese military port of Qingdao due to concerns over intelligence-gathering risks.
