The Norway authorities have detained a suspected Russian spy who claimed to be a Brazilian citizen, as per Norwegian media stated on Tuesday.
The researcher in the university, who has not been officially named, is around the 10th suspected Russian national arrested in Norway this month, most of whom were nabbed in the vicinity of key strategic objects.
According to local media reports, the detention is first made by the Norweigan police security service (PST) of an alleged member of Moscow’s deep-cover network of spies & sleeper agents dubbed the “illegals”.
Deputy PST chief, said that, “We have asked that a Brazilian researcher at the University of Tromso be expelled from Norway as we believe he represents a danger to fundamental national interests.”
He has shown concerns that the suspect may have acquired news about Norway’s policy in the Arctic before his arrest in the far northern city of Tromso on Monday.
Several reports have identified the suspect as Jose Assis Giammaria, citing two University of Tromso staff members. One of them added that Giammaria had landed at the university in the month of December after contacting her with a request to carry out self-funded research on Arctic security & passing a standard background check.