The Italian government has extradited to the United States a Chinese man wanted by authorities there on hacking charges that include stealing COVID-19 medical research, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
The source declined to say when Xu was flown out of Italy, saying only that he was already in the United States. The move follows a ruling by a top Italian court earlier this month allowing the extradition.
Xu was arrested in Milan on July 3 at the request of U.S. authorities, who have accused him of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for his alleged role in computer piracy acts that took place between February 2020 and June 2021.
A spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry on Monday said China opposed the U.S. "fabricating charges through political manipulation" and urged Italy to "respect facts and law, immediately correct its mistake" and avoid "becoming an accomplice of the U.S."
Following his arrest, Xu's lawyer said his client had been a victim of mistaken identity.
The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) alleges that Xu has been hacking and stealing crucial COVID-19 research at the behest of the Chinese government.
The DOJ has said that Xu was part of a team of cyber experts who in 2020 targeted U.S.-based universities, immunologists, and virologists conducting research into COVID‑19 vaccines, treatment, and testing.
The DOJ also alleges that in 2021, Xu was part of a cyber-espionage group known as Hafnium, which infiltrated thousands of computers worldwide, including in the U.S.
(Reuters)
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