Key takeaways
- A former official of a confidential unit has been sentenced to life for espionage linked to crypto debts.
- Wang exchanged confidential information for over a million yuan in crypto transactions.
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A Chinese official has been sentenced to life in prison for selling state secrets to foreign entities to cover crypto investment losses, China’s Ministry of State Security announced on November 8.
The manager, named Wang, was reportedly facing significant debts from unsuccessful crypto investments. In a desperate attempt to ease his financial burden, he turned to an online forum to look for part-time employment, inadvertently revealing his status as a civil servant.
The move opened the door to foreign agents who contacted him offering substantial remuneration in exchange for information on the production tasks and research progress of his confidential unit.
Wang, described as a promising young man by colleagues and family, agreed to provide top-secret and classified state secrets to foreign agencies in exchange for compensation.
Initially, he provided a small amount of inside information, but as he became more involved in the scheme, he disclosed more sensitive information. The former official ultimately received over a million yuan in crypto.
The people’s court sentenced him to life imprisonment for espionage and stripped him of all political rights.
The ministry said Wang’s unit failed to strictly implement privacy management systems and protection measures, creating opportunities for security breaches. National security agencies ordered the unit to take corrective action.
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