Italian Police Arrest Chinese Man Wanted by FBI for Cyber Espionage

The suspect allegedly belongs to a state-sponsored hacker group that targeted U.S. researchers developing a COVID-19 vaccine.

A man types on a keyboard during the Def Con hacker convention in Las Vegas on July 29, 2017. Steve Marcus/Reuters

Italian police have arrested a Chinese man wanted in connection with an FBI investigation into cyber espionage targeting projects including COVID-19 vaccine development, Italian media reported on July 7.

The suspect, Xu Zewei, 33, was detained on July 3 at Milan’s Malpensa Airport upon arrival. He is scheduled to appear before the Milan Court of Appeal on July 8 for a hearing regarding an extradition request from the United States.