According to AFP on September 7, Belgian authorities said they had arrested a spy suspect accused of selling trade secrets of a domestic chip manufacturer to foreign countries.
According to prosecutors, the suspect is of Belgian and a foreign nationality, used to work at Belgan, a Belgian enterprise producing nitride gallium semiconductors and is now bankrupt. The 52-year-old suspect was arrested at Brussels airport in May while preparing to board a flight to Beijing.
There are signs that the person involved, who held a senior research position in a Belgian company, and also played the role of director of a foreign company operating in a similar manufacturing sector," the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office announced.
The investigation may point to the illegal transfer abroad of specialized intellectual property and trade secrets related to the production of nitride gallium chips - technology applied in fields including electric vehicles, aerospace and military," the prosecution agency said.
The suspect is being detained before trial on charges of espionage, participating in criminal organizations, abusing company assets and illegally disclosing business secrets. Prosecutors said they are still searching for the second suspect, described by local media as the last CEO of Belgan.
The incident originated from the collapse of Belgan in 2024, which left more than 400 workers unemployed.
