PST fears students could be spies
The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) believes foreign states are recruiting and placing students and researchers in Norwegian education institutions.
For several years, PST has been vocal about the concern that students, particularly from Iran, could be used to gain information in Norway about weapons of mass destruction. These fears were repeated in the threat evaluation for 2018.
New year, same PST reports: These are the students they fear
«We expect that certain countries we are worried about are attempting to learn about certain areas of technology which could be used to develop advanced weapons or weapons of mass destruction,» the evaluation read.
PST believes that countries such as Iran and Pakistan have a long-term perspective on weapons development.
«They see great value in recruiting or placing students and researchers in Norwegian education institutions, which can help develop their country’s weapons program in the long-term,» the report reads.
The security service advises Norwegian companies and organizations to be wary of attempts by Iran and Pakistan to procure that kind of information:
«We expect Pakistan to be a major actor when it comes to illegal and consistent attempts to obtain that kind of information from Norwegian authorities in 2018.»
