A Norwegian student in his 20s has been arrested in Oslo on suspicion of spying for Russia and Iran while working as a guard at the U.S. Embassy.
The student, who remains unidentified, admitted to collecting and sharing information with Russian and Iranian authorities, which led to his arrest.
The big picture: He was studying for a security and preparedness degree at Norway’s Arctic University, UiT, and ran a security company in partnership with a dual national of Norway and an unspecified Eastern European country.
- Authorities revealed that the suspect’s espionage activities had a damaging effect on national security and that additional information was uncovered during the investigation.
- The suspect’s attorney mentioned that while the student acknowledged working for a foreign country, he denied the specific charge of espionage, claiming only to have obtained information that could be detrimental to third countries’ security.
- Norway, which has a border with Russia in the Arctic, has implemented stringent measures against Russian nationals following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with discussions underway about constructing a border fence between the two countries.
