Yaqi X, 38, was employed by a business at the airport that offered logistics services, according to German prosecutors.
The prosecution claimed that she had frequently forwarded information to a different person employed by China’s secret services on military cargo transfers, planes, and people. The airport is regarded as a major hub for the shipment of defense goods, especially to Ukraine.
Jian G, a second suspect, was taken into custody earlier this year.
He has served as an assistant to a far-right AfD member of parliament from Germany.
Yaqi X was searched at home and at work and placed under detention in custody.
Prosecutors claim that she provided Jian G with information on the movement of military hardware and individuals connected to an unidentified German armaments manufacturer between August 2023 and February 2024.
German sources told public television that the defence company involved was Rheinmetall, Germany’s biggest defence industry, which has been extensively involved in supplying Ukraine with guns, armoured vehicles, and military equipment.
Yaqi X’s case seems to be connected to an April spy case involving Jian G, a parliamentary aide.
Jian G was fired from his position as assistant to Maximilian Krah, the MEP he had worked for. Police searched Krah’s Brussels office, but there was no proof that he was involved.
