Suspected Russian spies says he only had ASML secrets to maintain own knowledge, skills
German A., a 43-year-old Russian man suspected of stealing ASML trade secrets for Russia, admits having ASML documents in his possession, but only to maintain his “own knowledge and skills.” He denies having any contact with people from the Russian intelligence service, AD reports after a pro-forma hearing against the former ASML employee. A. will remain in custody until the next hearing in June.
A is suspected of industrial espionage between November 2015 and August 2024. In that period, he worked for chip machine maker ASML and chip companies NXP and Mapper.
According to the Public Prosecution Service (OM), A. stole manuals and other digital documents and shared them with a contact in Russia via Google Drive. The man also regularly traveled to Moscow, carrying with him ASML data on USB sticks, the OM said. According to the OM, A. was paid tens of thousands of euros for this data smuggling. The stolen data helped Russia produce chips, among other things, the Dutch authorities believe.
A. maintains that he never had contact with the Russian intelligence service and denies trading in sensitive data. “The files I had in my possession were mostly outdated,” he said in court through his interpreter. He also said the data he had was not nearly enough to successfully develop competing devices. “Much more information is needed for that.”
The man also complained about how he was treated in prison. He also asked if he could see his partner, whom he hadn’t seen in months. The OM said it would take this up with the penitentiary where he is in custody.
The court remanded A. into custody. The substantive handling of the case is expected to start at the end of June. The government already banned A. from entering the Netherlands for 20 years. This will start once he is released from custody.
