High North News - English

On May 15, a Chinese citizen was arrested in Norway, suspected of attempted illegal intelligence activities against state secrets.

The man is alleged to have stayed in a bunker near the military section of the airport in Bodø, Northern Norway.

The accused was remanded in custody for four weeks.

TV 2 reports on Friday that the accused Chinese citizen is now being released.

"PST is releasing the Chinese citizen who was arrested in May 2026 and charged with attempted illegal intelligence activities against state secrets. The arrest occurred in connection with the accused taking up residence in a bunker near Bodø air station," police prosecutor Kathrine Tonstad in Norway's Police Security Service (PST) tells TV 2.

"The basis for suspicion against the accused is considered weakened through the investigation that has been carried out so far. The investigation will be completed and then forwarded from PST to the National Authority for Prosecution of Organised and other Serious Crime for a prosecutorial decision, Tonstad adds.

Will be arrested again

According to Tonstad, the Nordland Police District will now arrest the accused of violating the Immigration Act and prepare a case for deportation or expulsion from Norway.

PST adds that there is no information indicating that there is any connection between this case and the woman who was arrested on Andøya, suspected of complicity in an attempted act of serious intelligence activity against state secrets a few weeks ago, writes TV 2.

Vice Admiral James Morley, Deputy Commander of NATO Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFC Norfolk), visited Sweden’s Northern Military Region from 7 to 9 June.

During the visit, the JFC Norfolk Deputy Commander gained first-hand insight into the operational environment of the High North - an area of growing strategic importance for the Alliance, a press release states.

The delegation, which also included Major General Stefan Sandborg, Deputy Chief of Joint Operations of the Swedish Armed Forces, visited eastern Norrbotten and the headquarters of the Northern Military Region in Boden.

There, military leaders met with representatives from Sweden’s North Civil Defence Region and Police Region North, highlighting the close cooperation between military and civilian authorities that forms the foundation of Sweden’s total defence concept.

"It has been valuable to see the progress made in integrating Sweden into the Alliance enterprise. Sweden's significant combat power and total defence concept - encapsulated brilliantly in the work at Regional Command North - adds significant capability to the Alliance," said Vice Admiral Morley.

"Sweden's stand-up of Forward Land Forces Finland and the transfer of authority to SACEUR marks another significant milestone and will further enhance NATO's defensive posture on the northern flank," he added.

Statistics Norway (SSB) released population projections on Friday.

Continued population growth, strong population aging and a larger and more established immigrant population are the main findings from the national population projections.

According to the projection's main alternative, all counties, except Nordland, are expected to experience population growth up to 2050.

In the period between 2026 and 2050, a population decline of approximately 7,400 people is expected in Nordland, one of the three counties in Northern Norway.

In the other two counties, Troms and Finnmark, the population is expected to increase by approximately 4,700 and 1,200 people, respectively.