NATO sources have confirmed that a Greek air force officer arrested in February on suspicion of espionage had links to China and confessed to leaking sensitive alliance information.
The confirmation follows a probe by Greek authorities two months ago, after the country’s intelligence service received a tip-off from a Western national security agency that “highly sensitive” material was being passed to China by a member of Greece’s military.
The suspect, identified as Christos Flessas, an air force officer based in the wider Athens region, was placed under surveillance and later arrested inside a military facility in coordination with other state services.
Flessas was recruited by a male handler who first contacted him via LinkedIn. The two later met on the sidelines of a NATO conference in Europe, after which he was given a device to photograph, encrypt and transmit sensitive information to contacts in Beijing.
The officer admitted to transmitting classified documents, allegedly photographing and sending them using specialised encryption software provided by Chinese intelligence. He was paid per message in foreign currencies, including digital transfers of up to $17,500.
He is also believed to have received tradecraft training in China during an undeclared trip, according to Greek military sources.
In a statement released through his lawyer following a court appearance, the officer said: “Unknowingly and without intent, I became involved in something that developed in a way that became nightmarish, dangerous and illegal. In my testimony, I did not try to justify myself or, in reality, even defend myself … I ask to be punished with a fair punishment.”
The scandal has been described as a “wake-up call” for Greece and NATO regarding China’s efforts to infiltrate Western militaries through professional networking platforms like LinkedIn.
