United States: multiple indictments of Chinese and Russians for theft of trade secrets

U.S. authorities on Tuesday announced charges against Chinese and Russians accused of stealing trade secrets and violating U.S. sanctions by attempting to export sensitive technology. "These indictments illustrate the Justice Department's commitment to preventing sensitive technologies from falling into the hands of foreign adversaries, including Russia, China and Iran," Matthew Olsen, head of national security issues at the Justice Department, said in a statement detailing the five cases across the country.

Among those targeted is the Chinese Weibao Wang, an engineer at Apple from 2016 to 2018, who is suspected of having stolen from the Californian group a software - his specialty - related to the research and development of autonomous cars as well as other confidential elements. He fled the United States, returning to his home country, hours after his home was searched in 2018. The 35-year-old is being prosecuted in California. Xiangjiang Qiao, a 39-year-old Chinese also known as Joe Hansen, is accused of seeking to supply Iran with isostatic graphite. This is prohibited by US sanctions against the Islamic Republic. According to US authorities, this material is used in the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction, especially in the warhead of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

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Nikolaos Bogonikolos, a 59-year-old Greek, is being prosecuted for smuggling military and civilian technology into Russia since 2017, including sophisticated equipment used for nuclear weapons testing. Arrested on May 9 in France, the United States is seeking his extradition. "While ostensibly operating as a defense subcontractor for NATO and other allies" with his company Aratos Group, Nikolaos Bogonikolos "was playing a double game, helping Russia's war effort and the development of the next generation of armaments," said Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. According to him, Nikolaos Bogonikolos "conspired with a network of companies orchestrated by Russian intelligence services to fraudulently acquire and smuggle" into Russia US military and civilian technologies.