Chinese state-sponsored contract hacker arrested in Italy at US request: DOJ
The US Department of Justice said a Chinese state-sponsored contract hacker was arrested last week in Italy at the request of Washington.
WASHINGTON - The US Department of Justice said on July 8 a Chinese state-sponsored contract hacker was arrested last week in Italy at the request of Washington, but the arrested man claimed he is a victim of mistaken identity.
Xu Zewei, 33, was arrested on July 3, the Justice Department said, adding a nine-count indictment was unsealed on July 8 in the Southern District of Texas alleging the involvement of that individual and a co-defendant in computer intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021.
Xu was arrested in Milan, Italy, and will face extradition proceedings, the DOJ said in a statement.
It alleged China's ministry of state security had directed theft of Covid-19 research and the exploitation of Microsoft email software vulnerabilities.
The Chinese government has denied allegations of being involved. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Xu's lawyer said on July 8 that he is a victim of mistaken identity, that his surname is quite common in China and that his mobile phone had been stolen in 2020.
The 33-year-old IT manager at a Shanghai company appeared on July 8 before an appeals court in Milan, which will decide whether to send him to the United States. The man was arrested last week after he arrived at Milan's Malpensa airport for a holiday in Italy with his wife.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Mindef, SAF units among those dealing with attack on S'pore's critical information infrastructure
Asia How China's growing cyber-hacking capabilities have raised alarm around the world
Asia Autogate glitch at Malaysia's major checkpoints causes chaos for S'porean and foreign travellers
Singapore A deadly cocktail: Easy access, lax attitudes driving Kpod scourge in S'pore
Singapore 'I thought it was an April Fool's joke': Teen addicted to Kpods on news that friend died
Singapore Who decides when you can't? A guide on planning for end-of-life care
Singapore Why hiring more teachers makes sense, even with falling student numbers
Singapore Bukit Panjang LRT disruption: Train service resumes after power fault affects 13-station line
US authorities allege that he was part of a team of hackers who tried to access a Covid-19 vaccine being developed by the University of Texas in 2020.
The DOJ also says that in 2021, he was part of a cyber-espionage group known as Hafnium, which has alleged ties to the Chinese government and which "exploited zero-day vulnerabilities in US systems to steal additional research."
Hafnium targeted over 60,000 US entities, according to the DOJ.
The charges listed on the arrest warrant were wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and unauthorised access to protected computers. REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
27 minutes ago
- Straits Times
2 charged over alleged involvement in posting of bail for man who subsequently absconded
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Long Zhihua, a 39-year-old Chinese national, was a member of a housebreaking syndicate and is facing charges of housebreaking and possession of stolen property. SINGAPORE – Two men were charged in court on July 22 over their alleged involvement in the posting of bail for a man involved in a housebreaking case who subsequently absconded. The fugitive is named in court documents as Long Zhihua, a 39-year-old Chinese national, who was a member of a housebreaking syndicate and is facing charges of housebreaking and possession of stolen property. Long was arrested after he allegedly broke into a Windsor Park Road house on June 21, 2024, and made off with more than $570,000 worth of jewellery together with an accomplice. On July 22, Wilson Ang, 41, and Wai Kei Fung, 25, were handed one obstruction of justice charge each, and one each related to entering into an agreement to indemnify against any liability, which is an offence under the Criminal Procedure Code. Ang, a Singaporean, was also handed a further charge over providing false information to a public servant. In a press release, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said that on April 1, Ang had allegedly posed as a bailor for a 39-year-old man who is named in court documents as Long Zhihua. Ang allegedly did so for money and did not know Long. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore S'poreans aged 21 to 59 can claim $600 SG60 vouchers from July 22 Singapore LTA seeks tailored solutions to improve Bukit Panjang LRT's maintenance inspections Opinion Singapore's vaping crisis lays bare the drug addiction nightmare for parents Multimedia 'It's very sad': She comforts loved ones turned away by inmates Opinion Sumiko at 61: 7 facts about facial skin ageing, and skincare ingredients that actually work World Trump 'caught off guard' by Israel's strikes in Syria Singapore Ports and planes: The 2 Singapore firms helping to keep the world moving He is said to have entered into an illegal agreement with a third party to indemnify himself against any losses if Long failed to comply with his bail conditions. Wai, a Malaysian, purportedly abetted this agreement by couriering the bail in cash to Ang to facilitate the posting of bail. Ang allegedly acted as a surety to a bail bond for Long to the sum of $30,000, leading to Long's release from remand in prison. After bail was posted, Wai allegedly drove to the prison, picked Long up and took him to a hotel. Wai purportedly paid for a room at the hotel to house Long. Subsequently, Ang allegedly lodged a police report falsely claiming he had maintained regular contact with Long before eventually losing contact with him, in an attempt to deny involvement in the matter. Long then absconded while on bail and failed to attend a court hearing for charges in relation to his case. The State Courts has issued a warrant of arrest against him, said the police, adding that it is working with foreign law enforcement counterparts to trace his whereabouts. On July 22, Ang and Wai, who were in remand, attended the hearing in court via video-link. A police prosecutor submitted for no bail for Wai, saying that he had facilitated Long to jump bail and because he is a foreigner with high flight risk. Ang was offered bail of $15,000. Their cases were adjourned to Aug 18 for the completion of investigations. If convicted of obstructing the course of justice, an offender can be jailed for up to seven years, fined or both. Those found guilty of entering into an agreement to indemnify against any liability, can be jailed for up to three years, fined or both. The offence of providing false information with intent to cause a public servant to omit any action if the true state of facts were known by him, carries a maximum punishment of two years' jail, a fine, or both. SPF said it take a serious view of acts that interfere with the administration of justice, and that offenders will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
AsiaOne
27 minutes ago
- AsiaOne
Chinese actor Zhang Yiyang revealed to have been executed for murder of 16-year-old girlfriend , Entertainment News
Chinese actor Zhang Yiyang was recently revealed to have been executed by a firing squad in December last year for killing his 16-year-old girlfriend. He was 34 years old and is the first celebrity in China to have been handed a death sentence. According to a court document released by Xianyang, Shaanxi, his girlfriend surnamed Zhang - who was 15 years old when they first dated - had wanted to break up. Yiyang was opposed to it and threatened to kill himself during their quarrels. On Feb 26, 2022, he lured her into a forest in the guise of celebrating her birthday and cut her neck multiple times with a pocketknife, rupturing her carotid artery and windpipe. He then went home to change his clothes, before throwing them and her mobile phone into a river. The court document revealed he then tried to commit suicide in a hotel but was found by staff who called the police. The court sentenced him to death for intentional homicide, and he was executed on Dec 18, 2024. Yiyang's posthumous film Jie You Yin Sheng Guan premiered in March this year, and netizens recently took to Douban to give one-star ratings, criticising its release despite its lead actor being executed for murder. One netizen remarked: "The male lead actor was executed for murder, but the movie he starred in still premiered." Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444 Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019 Institute of Mental Health's Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 Silver Ribbon: 6386-1928 Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 Community Health Assessment Team: 6493-6500/1 Counselling TOUCHline (Counselling): 1800-377-2252 TOUCH Care Line (for seniors, caregivers): 6804-6555 Care Corner Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 1800-353-5800 Online resources [[nid:720332]] syarifahsn@
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
China-born engineer pleads guilty to stealing US trade secrets
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Gong Chenguang worked briefly in 2023 as an engineer at a Los Angeles-area research and development company, the Justice Department said. LOS ANGELES - A Chinese-born US researcher pleaded guilty on July 21 to stealing trade secrets, including technology used to detect nuclear missile launches, the Justice Department said. Gong Chenguang, 59, of San Jose, California, was accused of transferring more than 3,600 files from the research and development company where he worked to his personal storage devices. Gong pleaded guilty in a central California district court to one count of theft of trade secrets and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Sentencing was set for Sept 29. Gong, who became a US citizen in 2011, worked briefly in 2023 as an engineer at a Los Angeles-area research and development company, the Justice Department said. The company was not identified. Among the files Gong downloaded were blueprints for infrared sensors designed for use in space-based systems to detect nuclear missile launches and track ballistic and hypersonic missiles, the Justice Department said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World US President Trump 'caught off guard' by Israel's strikes in Syria Singapore LTA seeks tailored solutions to improve Bukit Panjang LRT's maintenance inspections Opinion Singapore's vaping crisis lays bare the drug addiction nightmare for parents Singapore Subsidies and grants for some 20,000 people miscalculated due to processing issue: MOH Multimedia 'It's very sad': She comforts loved ones turned away by inmates Opinion Sumiko at 61: 7 facts about facial skin ageing, and skincare ingredients that actually work Opinion With Shatec cutting back operations, what's next for the hospitality sector? Life Cosby Show star Malcolm-Jamal Warner dies by drowning at 54 Also stolen were blueprints for sensors designed to enable US military aircraft to detect incoming heat-seeking missiles and take countermeasures. The Justice Department said Gong, while employed at several major technology companies in the United States between 2014 and 2022, had submitted applications to join so-called 'Talent Programmes' funded by the Chinese government. The programmes are designed to identify individuals with 'expert skills, abilities, and knowledge of advanced sciences and technologies' that can advance the Chinese economy and military capabilities, it said. AFP
