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Italy Extradites Suspect in Hacking of COVID Research
27 Apr
Summary
- An Italian court approved the extradition of a Chinese man wanted by the U.S.
- He is accused of stealing COVID-19 medical research and hacking university networks.
- The suspect was arrested in Milan and is alleged to have acted on behalf of China.
Italy's government has authorized the extradition of Xu Zewei, a Chinese national sought by U.S. authorities. Xu faces charges related to hacking and stealing vital COVID-19 medical research. This decision follows a recent ruling by an Italian court, which previously determined that Xu could be extradited.
Xu was apprehended in Milan on July 3, responding to a request from the U.S. Justice Department. Prosecutors accuse him of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for his alleged involvement in cyber-piracy acts between February 2020 and June 2021. His defense team has stated that Xu is a victim of mistaken identity.
The U.S. Justice Department claims Xu worked to steal critical COVID-19 research on behalf of the Chinese government. It is alleged that he was part of a team that targeted U.S. universities and scientists in 2020. Furthermore, Xu is accused of participating in the 2021 cyber-espionage group Hafnium, which compromised thousands of computers globally.
