Italian Police Arrest Chinese National Suspected of Cyberespionage

Italian authorities have taken a significant step in their fight against cybercrime, arresting a Chinese national on a U.S. warrant suspected of involvement in high-profile hacking operations.

On July 3rd, Zewei Xu, a 33-year-old Chinese citizen, was apprehended at Milan's Malpensa Airport upon arrival from China. The arrest was made in accordance with an international cooperation between Italy and the United States.

According to Italian authorities, Xu is linked to the notorious Silk Typhoon APT group, also known as Hafnium, which has been accused of conducting elaborate cyberattacks against various U.S. government targets. These attacks have included breaches into the US Treasury and more recent attempts to compromise research on COVID-19 vaccines at the University of Texas in 2020.

The FBI has formally charged Xu with allegations that he was part of a team of hackers carrying out espionage operations, primarily targeting anti-COVID vaccine production efforts at the University of Texas. Additionally, he is accused of participating in an extensive cyber-intrusion campaign orchestrated by the Chinese government known as "Hafnium," which targeted thousands of computers around the world to gather sensitive information on U.S. government policies.

Xu's family vehemently disputes these claims. His wife expressed her opposition to his extradition, citing her husband's innocent occupation as an IT manager at Shanghai GTA Semiconductor Ltd and stating that obtaining an entry visa to Italy should confirm that he is not involved in any wrongdoing.

The suspect faces extradition proceedings in Italy, with charges including wire fraud, ID theft, and unauthorized computer access carrying a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison. An Italian judge deemed Xu a flight risk, citing his involvement in serious cybercrime activities as the reason for this decision.

Xu's lawyer has responded to the accusations by labeling them "fanciful." The arrest is seen as a significant development in Italy's cooperation with international efforts to combat cybercrime and protect against state-sponsored hacking operations.

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