A prosecutor with Norway's home safety company on Friday gave a Russian title for the person who entered the nation as a Brazilian however is suspected of spying state secrets and techniques for Russia.
Thomas Blom of Norway's Safety Service mentioned the person's title was Mikhail Mikushin, including authorities had been "not positively positive of his identification, however we're fairly sure that he's not Brazilian."
The person was detained Monday within the Arctic metropolis of Tromsoe, the place he labored on the Arctic College of Norway. Norwegian media have mentioned he known as himself Jose Assis Giammaria. Norwegian authorities mentioned he was 44, born in Russia in 1978.
Mikushin is a senior Russian navy intelligence officer, in line with a researcher on the investigative web site Bellingcat.
"Nice job, Norway, you've got caught your self a colonel from the GRU (Russia's navy intelligence company)," Bellingcat researcher Christo Grozev tweeted.
Blom advised a press convention that the suspect faces a "non permanent" cost of spying and that preliminary cost might change because the investigation into the case had simply begun. If discovered responsible of violating Norway's espionage legal guidelines, the person faces as much as three years in jail. At first he was arrested in view of expelling him.
"There may be an imminent hazard of tampering with proof," Blom mentioned, explaining why the suspect was detained for 4 weeks.
On Friday, his lawyer in Oslo, Marijana Lozic, advised Norwegian information company NTB that the person denies any wrongdoing.
"Our view is that, simply getting access to a few of these analysis environments, that are premise suppliers for the authorities, for coverage formulation, is of great nationwide significance," Blom mentioned of the suspect.
The college rector advised Norwegian broadcaster NRK that to his data no knowledge has been stolen or data had been taken "that might injury our analysis." Nevertheless, "it might undermine the legitimacy of our skilled atmosphere," mentioned Dag Rune Olsen.
The suspect arrived in Norway in 2021, and has researched the northern areas and hybrid threats, Norwegian media mentioned. Norway's Arctic border with Russia is 123 miles lengthy.
In Canada, the place the person additionally studied, he recognized himself as Jose Assis Giammaria, in line with Canadian Press.
The information company mentioned the College of Calgary had reported that the person additionally attended the Alberta faculty and graduated within the fall of 2018 with a grasp of strategic research.
Canadian Press additionally mentioned a 2015 convocation program from Ottawa's Carleton College exhibits Giammaria had graduated with a honors bachelor of arts in political science with a focus in worldwide relations.
Along with the suspected spy, Norway has in latest weeks arrested 9 Russian nationals.
They're accused of flying drones in its airspace in violation of a ban launched for the reason that conflict in Ukraine, or having photographed delicate websites in restricted areas.
Russian fishing trawlers, nonetheless allowed to dock in some Norwegian ports regardless of an EU ban, and analysis vessels have additionally drawn suspicion in Norway.
Norway, which has overtaken Russia as Europe's greatest provider of pure gasoline for the reason that conflict in Ukraine, has beefed up safety at strategic websites.
That step was taken after mysterious drones had been noticed close to some oil and gasoline installations following the suspected sabotage of Nord Stream's two Baltic Sea pipelines.
AFP contributed to this report.