Minister says espionage allegations against Canadian in Belgium are ‘quite serious’

OTTAWA — Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree committed Monday “to get to the bottom” of the arrest of a Canadian in Europe on spying charges.

The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office said Saturday that “a Canadian national of Chinese origin” had been arrested on charges of espionage and participation in a criminal organization.

The suspect, who was not named in the office’s statement, worked as an intern at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Mons, Belgium.

The prosecutor’s office said she came to the attention of SHAPE’s security services, who reported the matter to Belgium’s military intelligence agency.