Two people, including a former aide to a far-right AfD politician, have been accused of passing on sensitive information to Chinese intelligence agencies. Three more people have been arrested on similar charges.

Germany’s federal prosecutor’s office on Tuesday pressed espionage charges against the former aide of Maximilian Krah, a far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) politician, and a Chinese national, both of whom are accused of working for Chinese intelligence agencies.

Simultaneously, three more people were arrested in the western city of Düsseldorf and the town of Bad Homburg, near Frankfurt, also on suspicion of spying for Beijing.

Jian G., a German citizen whose surname is given only as an initial in accordance with German privacy laws, is accused of passing on classified information concerning negotiations and decisions within the European Parliament.