Arrested Greek Air Force officer confesses he spied for China

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - A Greek Air Force officer, arrested over suspicions of leaking information to a major US rival, has confessed to spying for China, local media reported on Friday.

The 54-year-old colonel, who was serving at the 128 Telecommunications and Electronics Training Group in the Kavouri area near central Athens, admitted to passing classified information, including material related to NATO, to China, according to public broadcaster ERT.

He also identified his Chinese handler, who is based in China, the broadcaster said.

ERT reported that Greece’s intelligence service, EYP, began monitoring the colonel after being alerted by US intelligence to his activities. The officer had access to sensitive information concerning both Greece and NATO, it added.

EYP, working in coordination with military intelligence, moved on Thursday to arrest the colonel as he was preparing to send a new batch of information to China, the report said.

According to the broadcaster, the colonel, an expert in electronics and communications, may have caused serious damage to the security of Greece and NATO.

It remains unclear whether China shared the information it obtained with other parties, the report added.