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Chinese Hacker Arrested in Italy Over Vaccine Espionage

7/9/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Italian police apprehended Xu Zewei, a Chinese national, at Milan Malpensa Airport on July 3, acting on a US warrant for cyber espionage tied to Covid-19 vaccine research. As a member of the notorious Hafnium hacker group, Xu faces serious charges, including wire fraud, sparking fears of diplomatic fallout between Italy and China.

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Story summary

Italian police apprehended Xu Zewei, a Chinese national, at Milan Malpensa Airport on July 3, acting on a US warrant for cyber espionage tied to Covid-19 vaccine research. As a member of the notorious Hafnium hacker group, Xu faces serious charges, including wire fraud, sparking fears of diplomatic fallout between Italy and China.