Malaysian Defence Ministry Targeted in Chinese UAV Spy Network ?? Two Chinese-Nationals Arrested
Malaysia Drone Espionage Case Highlights Expanding Chinese UAV Surveillance Network Targeting Global Military Bases
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Malaysia’s Ministry of Defence complex at Jalan Padang Tembak has become the latest flashpoint in a growing global battle against state-linked drone reconnaissance, after two Chinese nationals were arrested for allegedly conducting aerial surveillance over one of the nation’s most sensitive military facilities.
The incident is not an isolated breach, but part of what defence analysts describe as an “escalating pattern” of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) incursions targeting military installations across the Indo-Pacific, the United States, and Europe — often linked to intelligence-gathering efforts attributed to actors connected with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) or Chinese state security organs.
According to the Royal Malaysia Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the two men were detected by military police while flying a drone over the football field inside Wisma Pertahanan on 6 August.
“Investigations revealed that the suspects were operating a drone in the Padang Bola area within the Defence Ministry compound before they were apprehended,” the CID said in an official statement.
Following the arrest, officers seized multiple pieces of equipment, including the drone itself and several memory cards.
A search of the suspects’ hotel room revealed further drone gear, indicating a possible sustained surveillance operation.
Under initial questioning, the suspects reportedly claimed they were acting on instructions from their employer to record aerial footage of the area.
However, they insisted they were unaware of the purpose or intended use of the imagery.
Police confirmed that multiple domestic and international security agencies have been contacted to verify the suspects’ backgrounds and travel history.
Both men have been charged in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court under Section 3(a) and Section 4 of Malaysia’s Official Secrets Act, which criminalises espionage and documentation within prohibited areas.
The suspects pleaded not guilty when the charges were read in Mandarin.
No bail was granted, and the court has set 11 September for the appointment of legal counsel and document submission.
A Global Pattern Emerges
This latest breach mirrors similar drone-related incursions in multiple countries, where Chinese nationals have been implicated in aerial reconnaissance of high-value military assets.
In July last year, South Korean authorities arrested three Chinese students for flying a drone over the Republic of Korea Navy’s Fleet Command in Busan while it hosted the U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71).
The students, aged between 30 and 49, were reportedly enrolled at a Busan university and had access to commercial UAVs capable of capturing high-resolution panoramic video.
They were accused of photographing and filming warships and restricted naval facilities in violation of the Enforcement Decree of the Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act.
In statements to South Korean police, the suspects claimed they recorded the carrier “out of curiosity,” though local media reported that the five-minute drone footage offered sweeping views of the carrier and surrounding naval command facilities — imagery that defence analysts warn could be of intelligence value to foreign militaries.
South Korean law enforcement also detained another Chinese national last year for allegedly using a drone to film the headquarters of the country’s top intelligence agency, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), in southern Seoul.
The Seocho Police Precinct confirmed the suspect, described as a Chinese tourist, was arrested for violating the Aviation Safety Act after flying the drone at around 3 p.m. to capture images of the NIS building and other sensitive sites.
Japan’s Maritime Security Breach
Japan suffered a similarly humiliating security breach when a Chinese-operated commercial drone penetrated the airspace over Yokosuka Naval Base, home to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (JMSDF) flagship helicopter carrier JS Izumo.
The footage — which later surfaced on Chinese social media platforms — showed the Izumo’s flight deck from stern to bow, at a time when the vessel was undergoing conversion to operate F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters.
The unauthorised aerial reconnaissance not only exposed a significant vulnerability in Japan’s maritime base security but also demonstrated the capability of off-the-shelf UAVs to capture intelligence on frontline naval assets.
In a subsequent text interview with Kyodo News, the Chinese national responsible for the drone flight admitted to leaving Japan immediately after the incident and returning to China.
United States: Strategic Installations Targeted
The United States has also experienced a surge in drone incursions targeting its most sensitive military facilities.
In December last year, federal investigators arrested 39-year-old Yinpiao Zhou, a Chinese citizen residing in the U.S., for allegedly flying a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Formerly known as Vandenberg Air Force Base, the installation is critical to America’s strategic deterrence and space operations, hosting rocket launches, intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests, and the deployment of military satellites.
Zhou was detained at San Francisco International Airport before boarding a flight to China.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California confirmed Zhou had last returned from China in February 2024.
Defence officials say Vandenberg’s strategic role in missile warning, space domain awareness, and ICBM testing makes it a prime target for foreign intelligence services seeking to map base infrastructure and operational patterns.
The U.S. has recorded over 600 drone incidents since 2022, according to defence outlet The Warzone, including swarms at overseas bases.
Some incursions have been so numerous that a U.S. general described the sound of multiple drones over Langley Air Force Base as akin to “a parade of lawn mowers.”
The Department of Justice has also charged Fengyun Shi, a Chinese graduate student at the University of Minnesota, with six counts under the Espionage Act for allegedly using a drone to photograph Newport News Shipyard in Virginia.
The shipyard is one of only two U.S. facilities capable of building nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and Virginia-class submarines — core elements of America’s nuclear triad and maritime dominance.
Europe: Sweden’s Security Services on Alert
In Europe, Swedish authorities have detained at least five Chinese nationals for operating drones over sensitive military and critical infrastructure sites in the country’s north.
Targets included a radar installation in Västerbotten, the port of Umeå, and a mine in Kiruna — all considered vital to Sweden’s national security and economic resilience.
The suspects were observed conducting unauthorised surveillance in restricted zones, prompting the revocation of their visas and the opening of counter-intelligence investigations.
Sweden has stepped up its scrutiny of suspected foreign espionage operations, expelling a 57-year-old Chinese journalist in April 2024 on national security grounds.
In a separate case in November 2024, Swedish authorities investigated the Chinese-flagged cargo vessel Yi Peng 3 after it was found near severed undersea fibre-optic cables — infrastructure critical to NATO communications — amid suspicions of sabotage.
China has denied any wrongdoing in both cases.
The Broader Strategic Context
Defence analysts note that while many of these UAVs are commercially available models, their deployment against sensitive military targets fits within a wider intelligence-gathering framework consistent with PLA doctrine on “informatized warfare.”
The PLA’s Strategic Support Force (SSF) — responsible for space, cyber, electronic, and psychological warfare — has been identified in Western intelligence assessments as a key driver of China’s integration of civilian technology into military reconnaissance operations.
Commercial drones, when used in this manner, can capture high-resolution imagery of base layouts, weapon systems, sensor arrays, and infrastructure vulnerabilities, all of which can be fed into military targeting databases.
The proliferation of low-cost, high-performance UAVs also complicates air defence, as small drones are often mistaken for birds or clutter on radar, and can operate below the engagement thresholds of traditional surface-to-air missile systems.
Malaysia’s Position in the Crosshairs
Malaysia’s geographical position along critical maritime chokepoints — including the Strait of Malacca and South China Sea approaches — makes its defence installations valuable intelligence targets for both state and non-state actors.
The breach at Wisma Pertahanan highlights the urgent need for enhanced counter-UAV measures, including dedicated drone detection radars, radio-frequency jammers, and integrated air defence protocols tailored for low-altitude threats.
With regional tensions rising over contested maritime zones, and major powers including the U.S., China, and Australia increasing their military footprint in Southeast Asia, the ability to safeguard sensitive facilities from aerial reconnaissance is now a matter of strategic urgency.
A Growing Challenge for Global Security
“Many of these drones are launched from concealed locations, making it almost impossible to identify the operators,” notes one intelligence official familiar with recent investigations.
Even when operators are apprehended, as in the Vandenberg case, proving a direct link to state-sponsored espionage remains a complex and often politically sensitive process.
However, as the Malaysian case demonstrates, the global footprint of these incidents is expanding — and so is the pressure on governments to respond decisively.
From Yokosuka to Vandenberg, and from Busan to Stockholm, the message is increasingly clear: the age of drone-enabled espionage has arrived, and it is rewriting the rules of military base security worldwide.
— DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA
