In a development that has embarrassed Beijing, a 10-member module that has operated a terrorist cell in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, has been busted, officials said.
Afghanistan’s National Security Directorate (NDS) has detained Chinese citizens on charges of espionage and terrorism.
It was the launch of NDS on 10 December.
Arrest: Two Chinese citizens were arrested; Arms and ammunition recovered from homes
On the above date, the NDS arrested a Chinese citizen Li Yangyang from his residence in Kabul. He had been working in the West Asian nation since July.
Weapons, ammunition, explosives including ketamine powder were also recovered from his house.
On the same day, another Chinese national Sha Hung was also arrested. She lived in Shirpur area of Kabul and also kept explosives in her house.
Meetings: Detectives held meetings with Haqqani network
After the arrests of Yangyang and Hung, more spies believed to be running the spy system in Afghanistan were caught.
Kingpin reportedly had meetings with top officials of the terrorist group Haqqani Network.
Pakistan’s notorious espionage agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), apparently acted as an intermediary between the Chinese spies and the terrorist organization.
Plan: Chinese spies working to eliminate Uyghur leaders
NDS officials are of the opinion that Al Qaeda in the provinces of Yangyang, Kunar and Badakhshan were collecting information about the Taliban and Uighur Muslims.
The DNA states that Chinese spies were working on a project to target and eliminate Uyghur leaders in Afghanistan through militants to leave the rebel movement against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Connection: Pakistan has rarely helped the Uygars, with whom China misbehaved
A person in New Delhi said that Afghanistan would now investigate the espionage ring and find out if it had any links with Pakistan.
Islamabad, Beijing’s all-weather ally, has supported the subsequent inhuman treatment of Uyghur Muslims.
In the late 1990s, Pakistan failed to help the Uygars, who settled in the northwestern tribal areas of the country following violence in China. He was either deported or murdered.
Details: China also targeted Afghan Uygars, detained some
Like some areas of Pakistan, Afghanistan is also looking for a place for refugees as it shares a small border with Xinjiang, home to the Uygars. Despite some opportunities in Afghanistan, some Uygars opted to stay there.
But the Afghan Uygars still face dangerous threats from China. The Communist government is detaining Afghan Uygars who go to Xinjiang to visit their relatives.
ETIM: Officials believe China wanted to target ETIM operators
The Afghan security establishment believes that Chinese spies were working to build a fake East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) module to thwart the actual ETIM operatives.
ETIM is a United Nations Security Council-designated group that operates in Xinjiang. It is believed that China uses ETIM to violate the human rights of minority Uigars.
The United States no longer identifies ETIM as a terrorist group.
Demand: Afghanistan seeks formal apology from China
The detention of Chinese spies was naturally bound to have political consequences. Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani has been made aware of the developments and has tasked the first Vice President Amartullah Saleh to oversee the investigation.
Saleh, the former head of the Afghan intelligence agency, met Chinese envoy Wang Yu and informed him about the spies.
If Beijing formally apologizes, Afghanistan will consider a pardon.