A Canadian intern working at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Mons, Belgium, has been arrested on espionage charges. Belgian prosecutors stated she is suspected of spying for a third country and belonging to a criminal organization, following an investigation triggered by the base’s own security services.
Arrest and Espionage Charges at NATO Military Headquarters
A female intern holding Canadian citizenship and Chinese origin was taken into custody in Belgium following an espionage investigation. Belgian authorities announced the arrest, noting that the suspect worked within the strategic command center of the transatlantic security alliance.
The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgium stated that the suspect faced formal detention orders from an investigating judge at the Hainaut Court of First Instance. Investigators executed searches at both her residential home and her workplace inside the secure military zone before placing her under formal arrest.
Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office
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.
A Canadian woman of Chinese origin who was an intern at NATO’s military headquarters in Belgium has been arrested on spying charges, Belgian prosecutors said on Saturday. The suspect was arrested Friday, and the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office stated in a statement that the female intern of Chinese origin is suspected of spying on behalf of a third country, as well as being suspected of being a member of a criminal organisation. The statement noted that further details of this individual, including her name, would not be disclosed for now, and it did not provide further details of the country or organisation she is suspected of spying for.
Inside Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
The detained intern was stationed at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, commonly known as SHAPE. The Canadian intern had been working at NATO’s strategic headquarters of the Allied Powers Europe, which is located in Mons, a city in southwestern Belgium. SHAPE is NATO’s top military headquarters and is responsible for planning and executing NATO’s military operations.
The suspect was an intern at SHAPE, which is a NATO site in Mons in Belgium. The intern, a Canadian woman of Chinese origin, worked at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), NATO’s strategic command in Mons, Belgium, where she has come to the attention
of authorities. Une ressortissante canadienne d’origine chinoise, stagiaire au SHAPE [le quartier général stratégique des puissances Alliées en Europe de l’OTAN, situé à Mons], a été placée sous mandat d’arrêt le vendredi 24 juillet 2026, précise le parquet fédéral belge dans un communiqué.
Cette enquête du parquet fédéral est menée par la police judiciaire fédérale de Charleroi sous la direction d’une juge d’instruction de la division de Mons du tribunal de première instance du Hainaut, ajoute l’information. Belgian intelligence and the police force reportedly searched the woman’s home and place of work on Thursday before she was placed under a warrant of arrest on Friday, July 24, 2026.
Operational Readiness and Security Assessment
Authorities in Belgium have arrested a Canadian intern on suspicion of spying for another country at NATO’s military headquarters, according to several international reports. The Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office is quoted as saying the woman is of Chinese descent, adding she is believed to be a member of a criminal organization.
It did not identify the woman or say which country she is accused of spying for, nor did it identify the criminal organization.
Next Steps in the Belgian Judicial Inquiry
Canada’s National Defence did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2026, by Lyndsay Armstrong in Halifax. The incident was also reported by Yurii Stasiuk for Bloomberg on July 25, 2026, noting that the NATO intern was arrested by Belgian police on Friday on suspicion of espionage on behalf of a third country and of membership of a criminal organization.
Related reading
