A senior Greek air force officer arrested on espionage charges had repeatedly warned in public posts that "malicious insiders" pose one of the most serious and underestimated threats to organisations. Nearly three years before his arrest, the 54-year-old had written extensively on cybersecurity, stressing that internal actors with privileged access could cause severe damage if overlooked.
An examination of his social media profiles on platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook and X would have given little cause for suspicion. He regularly shared professional commentary on cybersecurity, NATO and the war in Ukraine, alongside everyday, innocuous snapshots from volunteering activities, social outings and holidays. Colleagues and former classmates publicly praised his discipline, technical expertise, leadership skills and ethical standards.
The officer, a group captain in the Hellenic Air Force and commander of the 128th Telecommunications and Electronics Training Wing in Attica, is described by military sources as one of the few personnel with such advanced technical training. As a communications and IT systems engineer, he had access to the core classified networks of NATO and the Greek armed forces. His career included work on software development for AWACS (airborne radar) systems, arms procurement contracts, anti-aircraft systems, big data IT management, and exposure to allied operational plans.
He had also served as a NATO-accredited evaluator in communications and information systems, a specialisation believed to have attracted the interest of those who allegedly recruited him. Authorities suspect he photographed and transmitted classified documents abroad using equipment reportedly supplied by Chinese handlers.
Ironically, as recently as March 2023, he had written that organisations must effectively address risks posed by employees who may leak information either unintentionally through carelessness or deliberately for personal gain. These warnings now resonate uncomfortably with the allegations he faces.
The arrest of the Greek air force officer unfolded against a wider European counter-intelligence alert, after Greek and French authorities moved within hours of each other to detain individuals suspected of spying for China. Although the Greek case differed in operational details from arrests in France's Gironde region, investigators identified common threads linking the cases, notably a focus on advanced communications technologies and electronic systems. European security services view these incidents as part of a broader pattern of intelligence-gathering efforts centred on digital infrastructure, satellite networks and alliance communications, with NATO emerging as a key strategic target.
The officer's technical expertise and sustained interest in NATO-related information led to discreet but prolonged surveillance by Greek authorities, following a tip-off from a foreign intelligence service. Investigators allege that, after being seconded to another unit with access to sensitive communications systems, he used a device equipped with specialised software supplied by Chinese operatives to photograph classified documents and transmit them electronically. His activity was ultimately traced through digital identifiers, including QR codes, prompting his arrest shortly before he was allegedly due to send further material abroad.
The case has raised acute concern within the Greek defence establishment, not only because of the sensitivity of the information involved, but also amid indications that he may have attempted to recruit at least one additional person, which has raised fears of a wider internal network and triggered a full investigation under the military criminal code.
Source: Kathimerini
