The RCMP announced with other police services at their Toronto Airport location the charging of Qing Quentin Huang, 53 years old, with two counts of attempt to communicate to a foreign entity information that the Government of Canada is taking measures to safeguard, Sunday December 1, 2013. Pictured Left To Right are Inspector Micahel Slack, York Regional Police, RCMP Superintendent Doug Best, RCMP Chief Superintendent Larry Trembley, Opp Superintendent Tom Girling, RCMP Chief Superintendent Jennifer Strachan and Toronto Police Services Detective Inspector Steve Irwin.
TORONTO — A 53-year-old engineer has been arrested for attempting to pass classified information about Canadian naval vessels to the Chinese government, the RCMP announced on Sunday.
Qing Quentin Huang was charged with two counts under the Security of Information Act for attempting to “communicate to a foreign entity” sensitive Canadian government documents.
Mr. Huang was arrested in Burlington, Ont., on Saturday following Project Seascape, described by police as a “very swift investigation” that spanned only two days.
Canadian intelligence officials tipped off the RCMP on late Thursday that he was shopping the documents to China.
RCMP Chief Supt. Larry Tremblay would not comment on Mr. Huang’s motive.
“It would be unfair for me to speak to motive. I think that question is more to the defence side and to the accused himself. I’m in no position to comment on why he did what he did, considering it’s an illegal activity to begin with.”
Ray Boisvert, a former senior Canadian Security Intelligence Service official, said the decision to betray can stem from financial challenges, or a warped sense of political loyalty.
“Was he corrupted by somebody that led for him to volunteer something at one point down the road?” Mr. Boisvert said.
“It would be unfair for me to speak to motive. I think that question is more to the defence side and to the accused himself. I’m in no position to comment on why he did what he did, considering it’s an illegal activity to begin with.”
Ray Boisvert, a former senior Canadian Security Intelligence Service official, said the decision to betray can stem from financial challenges, or a warped sense of political loyalty.
“Was he corrupted by somebody that led for him to volunteer something at one point down the road?” Mr. Boisvert said.
Qing Quentin Huang, a resident of Waterdown, Ont., worked for Lloyds Registry Canada, and had tried to leak documents on the government’s National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy, which includes patrol ships, frigates, naval auxiliary vessels and ice breakers, police said.
“In these types of cases, sharing of information may give a foreign entity a tactical, military or competitive advantage by knowing the specifications of vessels responsible for defending Canadian waters and Canadian sovereignty,” stated RCMP Chief Superintendent Jennifer Strachan.
If convicted he could face up to life imprisonment.
Police said the investigation was ongoing but they believed they had minimized the threat to Canada that could have been caused by the leak of sensitive information to the Chinese authorities.
Unlike the case of Jeffrey Delisle, a Canadian military intelligence anayst who leaked secrets to the Russian embassy until his arrest last year, Mr. Huang does not appear to have succeeded in handing over any documents.
“In these types of cases, sharing of information may give a foreign entity a tactical, military or competitive advantage by knowing the specifications of vessels responsible for defending Canadian waters and Canadian sovereignty,” stated RCMP Chief Superintendent Jennifer Strachan.
If convicted he could face up to life imprisonment.
Police said the investigation was ongoing but they believed they had minimized the threat to Canada that could have been caused by the leak of sensitive information to the Chinese authorities.
Unlike the case of Jeffrey Delisle, a Canadian military intelligence anayst who leaked secrets to the Russian embassy until his arrest last year, Mr. Huang does not appear to have succeeded in handing over any documents.
“We are confident that our prompt and firm intervention has limited the damage to our collective safety and security,” Chief Supt. Strachan said.
But experts said the case is yet another demonstration of the dangers of sharing classified information too widely.
But experts said the case is yet another demonstration of the dangers of sharing classified information too widely.
The company Mr. Huang worked for had been subcontracted by Irvine Shipbuilders in the design phase of Canadian government vessels.
The Department of Foreign Affairs “has been engaged and is addressing this issue,” Chief Supt. Tremblay said, when asked if Canada had approach China about the matter.
The Department of Foreign Affairs “has been engaged and is addressing this issue,” Chief Supt. Tremblay said, when asked if Canada had approach China about the matter.
“We are confident that both the threat and the damage that could have been caused by the activity of this individual have been minimized and disrupted.”
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