10 Chinese spy who was caught for operating a terror cell in the capital city of Kabul has been let off by Afghan officials. The spies, caught on December 10, were made to fly off the country via chartered aeroplane arranged by the Chinese government.
Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) had detained the 10 Chinese nationals for being a part of an espionage module. Out of the 10, at least one was a woman who was believed to be linked to China’s spy agency, Ministry of State Security.
Afghanistan had offered to pardon the 10 Chinese nationals on the condition that Beijing apologise for the deployment of the spies in Kabul.
The 10 people had been allowed to board a chartered aircraft that flew them out of the country on Saturday after clearance from President Ashraf Ghani, Diplomats and security officials in Kabul told Hindustan Times.
After the intelligence agency made the arrest on December 10 and briefed President Ashraf Ghani about the situation, Ghani summoned First Vice President Amrullah Saleh, a former NDS chief who is credited with resurrecting the Afghan intelligence agency, to handle the case.
Amrullah Saleh released a statement on 27 December via his Facebook in which he cryptically denied any arrest of Chinese nationals in the country.
“No foreign citizen has been arrested in an effort operation in the Khairkhaneh area. The arrested are the palmadis that are under the scope. A number of them have been arrested on suspicion of being involved in kidnapping and assassination…,” Afghanistan’s First Vice President said.
Saleh had conveyed Kabul’s offer to release the Chinese spy if Beijing formally apologises and admits to the violation of international norms and betrayal of Kabul’s trust. However, no statement was reported from the Chinese side on the matter.
