In a major crackdown on illegal activities, German authorities have arrested ten individuals, including two lawyers, linked to a human smuggling ring that allegedly facilitated fraudulent residency for around 350 mostly Chinese nationals. The operation targeted a gang exploiting visa permits to traffic wealthy Chinese and Arab individuals. In a separate but related security operation, three German nationals were also detained on charges of espionage for China. These individuals are suspected of transferring sensitive information on technologies with potential military applications to Chinese intelligence, having been active since before June 2022.