26-9-2023 (OSLO) A Malaysian student, who was apprehended in Oslo earlier this month while in possession of electronic surveillance equipment, is no longer under suspicion for espionage. Instead, investigators are now exploring the possibility of his involvement in economic crimes, as reported on Friday.
The 25-year-old student was taken into custody on September 8 in Oslo after authorities observed his rental car in close proximity to the prime minister’s office and the defense ministry. This coincided with the detection of unusual electronic signals at these government locations, prompting the Norwegian Intelligence Service PST to launch an espionage investigation.
However, PST issued a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Friday, stating, “The hypothesis of illegal espionage has weakened considerably.” In contrast, the theory of his involvement in organized economic crime has gained substantial credibility.
As a result of this shift in focus, the case has been transferred to the Norwegian police’s Economic and Environmental Crime unit, known as Okokrim. According to the unit’s findings, the man is suspected of being part of a broad fraudulent scheme with potential links to organized crime networks, possibly on an international scale.
At the time of his arrest, it was believed that the student was in possession of an “IMSI-catcher,” a device used for telephone eavesdropping, allowing for the interception of mobile phone communications and the tracking of location data. Despite the initial allegations of espionage, the student has consistently denied any involvement in such activities, a stance upheld by his legal representative.
