A Norwegian student in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia and Iran while working as a guard at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo. The man, who remains unidentified, has been ordered to be held in custody for four weeks. He operates a security company jointly with a dual national of Norway and an unspecified eastern European country, as reported by Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.
Oslo police have announced their intention to review the operating license of the company in question. Norway's domestic intelligence agency, PST, disclosed that the man was apprehended at his home garage on Wednesday for allegedly damaging national security through his intelligence-related activities.
The arrest warrant from the district court revealed that the police discovered records of the man's communication with an individual believed to be guiding his espionage efforts. The man has reportedly confessed to collecting and sharing information with Russian and Iranian authorities.
PST spokesman Thomas Blom stated at a news conference that it is premature to delve into the specifics of the man's activities. The agency confirmed that the man was employed as a security guard at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, with no other suspects identified in the case thus far.
The suspect's attorney, John Christian Elden, conveyed that while the man acknowledges working for a foreign country, he denies the charge of espionage. Elden clarified that the man is accused of obtaining information that could jeopardize the security situation of third countries.
It has come to light that the man is pursuing a bachelor's degree in security and preparedness at Norway’s Arctic University, UiT. This incident marks the second espionage-related case at UiT in recent years, according to NRK.
Notably, one of the individuals exchanged with Russia in a significant prisoner swap in August was a UiT guest researcher initially claiming Brazilian nationality but later revealed to be Russian. The individual, identified as Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin, was arrested on espionage charges in 2022.
Given Norway's 198-kilometer border with Russia in the Arctic region and the heightened tensions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Norwegian government has imposed stringent restrictions on entry for Russian nationals. In September, authorities announced the consideration of constructing a fence along all or part of the border with Russia.
