Detained Dutch microchip company worker had ties to Russian intelligence – media

Illustrative image. Photo: ukrinform.ua

A former employee of a microchip producing company, recently arrested in the Netherlands, had contacts with the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).

This was reported by Ukrinform with reference to NOS.

“A former employee of ASML (one of the world’s leading producers of chip manufacturing equipment – ed.) and NXP (a Dutch manufacturer of semiconductor electronic components – ed.), who has been detained for several months on suspicion of stealing corporate secrets, was in contact with Russian intelligence. This is stated in an official report by the Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) to the prosecutor’s office,” NOS writes.

It is noted that on Thursday, the court in Rotterdam considered the report during a preliminary hearing in the case launched against the former employee. According to the prosecutor’s office, the report was received on December 23. The AIVD notes that there was contact between the Dutch man and an SVR operative.

According to the AIVD, the SVR is engaged, among other things, in obtaining “intelligence related to research and technology.”

As Ukrinform reported, a Russian man who worked for lithography equipment companies ASML and Mapper Lithography was detained in the Netherlands.