Belgium residents react to arrest of Canadian NATO intern

Allegations are another reminder of how the SHAPE base is cut off from the local community of Mons

Belgian prosecutors this week announced the arrest of a Canadian intern for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) who was accused of espionage.

The Canadian woman currently behind bars accused of spying on NATO was vetted by Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) before she started working as an intern at the command centre of the military alliance.

Arrested Canadian NATO intern suspected of spying for China, sources say  Reuters

A security source said the woman, identified as Claire Z, is in her 30s and not a student.

On Thursday, Belgian police carried out searches at the suspect’s home and work office, and on Friday, the investigative judge placed her under arrest

Following a closed-door hearing Tuesday, the Belgian federal prosecutor's office said the suspect would continue to be held in pretrial detention.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree is committing to "get to the bottom" of the arrest of a Canadian in Europe on spying charges. The suspect, who was not named in the office's statement, worked as an intern at NATO in Mons, Belgium.