Wanted by US, Chinese Hacker Arrested in Italy for Allegedly Stealing COVID-19 Vaccine Formula

Italian authorities have arrested a Chinese national wanted by the United States on charges of stealing intelligence related to COVID-19 vaccines from the US during the coronavirus pandemic. The US alleges the individual was part of a state-sponsored hacking group that stole COVID-19 vaccine secrets from the US in early 2020, at the height of the pandemic. Xu Zewei, the accused, was arrested on 3 July at Milan’s Malpensa airport following the issuance of an international arrest warrant by the US.

US Court Levels Nine Charges

A US court has filed nine charges against the 33-year-old Zewei. He is accused of working for China’s Ministry of State Security, targeting American universities, immunologists, and virologists researching COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and tests. The charge sheet also names another accused, Zhang Yu currently in China.

Zewei Part of Chinese Group ‘Hafnium’

The US claims Zewei was part of Hafnium, a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group. This group was accused in 2021 of conducting a large-scale espionage campaign by infiltrating Microsoft’s email software.

Extradition to Texas Initiated

Following his arrest, Zewei appeared in a Milan court on Tuesday. Subsequently, the US Department of Justice initiated extradition proceedings to Texas. Zewei faces charges in Texas related to wire fraud, identity theft, and hacking. Italy’s Ministry of Justice also confirmed that the US has formally requested Zewei extradition from Rome.

China’s Response

Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington D.C., responded to Zewei's arrest by stating that they have no information on the matter. However, they also mentioned that similar rumours have surfaced before, and China has already clarified its stance. They further stated that China’s vaccine research and development is among the most advanced globally, therefore, China neither needs nor intends to obtain vaccines through alleged theft.