Italy extradites alleged Chinese cyber-espionage suspect to US
Italy has extradited Xu Zewei, a 34-year-old Chinese national, to the United States, where he faces charges related to a cyber-espionage campaign targeting vaccine research during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is accused of hacking universities and research institutions as part of a China-linked operation known as 'Hafnium' while working for Shanghai Powerock Network. US prosecutors allege the cyberattacks were conducted on behalf of China’s Ministry of State Security and involved stealing sensitive scientific data. Xu appeared in a Houston court to face nine criminal counts, including wire fraud and unauthorized access to protected computers.
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News|CybercrimeItaly extradites Chinese cyber-espionage suspect to USUS prosecutors say 34-year-old Xu Zewei hacked into universities to steal vaccine research during COVID-19 pandemic. ListenListen (2 mins)SaveClick here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoA police vehicle in Udine, Italy, in 2025 [File: Marco Luzzani/Getty Images]By John PowerPublished On 28 Apr 202628 Apr 2026Italy has extradited an accused Chinese hacker wanted in the United States for allegedly stealing vaccine research at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.Italian authorities handed over the “dangerous foreign hacker” to the US following his arrest in Milan last July on suspicion of conducting cyberattacks against universities and other institutions engaged in COVID-related research, the Italian National Police said in a statement on Monday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Survivors of deadly Indonesia train crash pulled from wreckagelist 2 of 4US Supreme Court reinstates Republican-favoured Texas electoral maplist 3 of 4Bahrain strips 69 people of citizenship over Iran supportlist 4 of 4Israeli settlers attack Palestinians and set house on fireend of listThe suspect and his co-conspirators allegedly exploited cybersecurity flaws in email software to target thousands of computers in a Chinese state-sponsored cyber-espionage campaign dubbed “Hafnium”, Italian police said.The US Department of Justice said the suspect, 34-year-old Xu Zewei, had targeted universities, immunologists, and virologists under the direction of China’s Ministry of State Security while employed at the “enabling” company Shanghai Powerock Network.Prosecutors said the targeted institutions included a university in southern Texas and a law firm with offices in Washington, DC, and worldwide.Xu appeared in the US District Court in Houston, Texas, on Monday to face nine criminal counts, including wire fraud and conspiracy to obtain information by unauthorised access to protected computers, according to US prosecutors.“The United States is committed to pursuing hackers who steal information from US businesses and universities and threaten our cybersecurity,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A Eisenberg said in a statement. Advertisement “I commend the prosecutors and investigators who have worked hard and sought justice for years in this investigation, and we look forward to proving our case in court,” Eisenberg said.The Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Beijing has previously denied conducting hacking operations in the US and elsewhere around the world, branding such claims as “groundless accusations” and “smears”.Xu’s lawyers in Italy and the US, Simona Candido and Dan Cogdell, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.If convicted, Xu could face up to 20 years in prison for each count of the most serious charges against him.
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