Italy extradites Chinese hacker Xu Zewei to the US for cyber espionage
Italy has extradited Xu Zewei, a Chinese hacker accused of spying for the Chinese government during the COVID-19 pandemic, to the United States.
Italy’s extradition of a Chinese hacker underscores significant international collaboration, particularly between Italian police and the FBI, enhancing efforts to combat cybercrime during critical times.
“I risk suffering an unfair trial in the USA and physical and psychological ill-treatment. Do not extradite me,” Xu Zewei told Judge Veronica Tallarida during his hearing.
Key developments
Italy has extradited Xu Zewei, a Chinese hacker accused of spying for the Chinese government during the COVID-19 pandemic, to the United States, according to police.
Xu, arrested at Milan’s Malpensa airport last July, is implicated in hacking US agencies and research institutions involved in vaccine development, the FBI claims.
He has denied the allegations, asserting potential identity confusion, and expressed concerns over facing an unfair trial and mistreatment in the US.
Italy extradites alleged Chinese hacker to US accused of spying for Beijing during COVID-19 pandemic
Italy has extradited a Chinese hacker to the United States accused of spying for his country’s government during the COVID-19 pandemic, police said on Monday.
The man was arrested at Milan’s Malpensa airport last July and is “suspected of acting for the Chinese government,” a police statement said.
The FBI accuses Xu Zewei of hacking US government entities, research institutes and universities involved in vaccine research in 2020 and 2021 at the height of the pandemic, the statement said.
The police did not identify the man but said he was a former head of a major technology company in Shanghai.
He is alleged, along with associates, to be behind a hacking group called “Hafnium” which was accused of penetrating tens of thousands of Microsoft Exchange email servers in 2021.
The hacker team allegedly “exploited computer flaws in Microsoft Exchange Server software” related to e-mail messages, to “target a law firm and other entities.”
At the time, Microsoft called the group a “highly skilled and sophisticated actor.”
Italian police said the suspect was arrested on a warrant from Texas, hailing an “excellent and well-established cooperation” with the FBI as a reason for the operation’s success.
Xu, who had been held in prison in Busto Arsizio near Milan since his arrest, has rejected the accusations.
“I am living the most difficult period of my life, I risk suffering an unfair trial in the USA and physical and psychological ill-treatment. Do not extradite me,” Xu told judge Veronica Tallarida.
“All my personal data, email, contacts remained with the company I worked for when I left it in 2018,” the Chinese national said in his defence, saying he may be the victim of a case of mistaken identity.