RCMP arrest Ontario man for attempting to sell secrets to China
KAREN HOWLETT, COLIN FREEZE And DANIEL LEBLANC
TORONTO and OTTAWA — The Globe and Mail
Published Sunday, Dec. 01 2013, 10:49 AM EST
Last updated Sunday, Dec. 01 2013, 2:13 PM EST
The RCMP have arrested a 53-year-old man for attempting to sell classified secrets to China.
The Mounties allege Qing Quentin Huang was attempting to pass information of a "classified nature" to China regarding Canada's shipbuilding procurement strategy.
The kind of information the suspect attempted to pass to the Chinese government involved the building of "vessels that protect our borders," said the RCMP.
"We were able to disrupt this theft very quickly."
Law enforcement became aware of the alleged activities late Thursday. The suspect – who is a resident of Waterdown, Ont., a subdivision of Hamilton – was arrested shortly after 1 p.m. Saturday.
Mr. Huang worked at Lloyd’s Register Canada Ltd., a subcontractor to Irving Shipbuilding Inc. The suspect worked in engineering for the Irving subcontractor.
The case shows that threats involve more than just terrorism.
The information relates to certain elements of the Government of Canada National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy which includes patrol ships, frigates, naval auxiliary vessels, science research vessels and ice breakers.
The investigation was led by the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team in Toronto, which includes officials from the RCMP, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Canada Border Services Agency.
The department of Foreign Affairs has raised the matter of espionage with Chinese authorities. However, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird refused to comment, stating: “We don't discuss matters of national security.”
Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney praised the work of the RCMP and CSIS in a statement.
“This arrest demonstrates the importance of collaboration among security partners for the protection of Canada's national interest. The safeguarding of sensitive information remains fundamental to protecting Canada's interests and National sovereignty," Mr. Blaney said.
The Security of Information Act was passed in 2001 as part of the omnibus Anti-Terrorism Act.
In 2012, Canadian Forces naval intelligence officer Jeffrey Delisle became the first person charged with violating the act. He sold military secrets to a Russian spy service for four years, after walking into a Russian Embassy and offering to do so.
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