A Chinese IT engineer who worked for Google in the United States has been accused of trying to steal trade secrets from the internet giant and has been arrested, US Attorney General Merrick Garland said on Wednesday, AFP reported.

Linwei Ding, 38, aka Leon Ding, was arrested Wednesday in Newark, California, the minister said in a statement.

• “The Department of Justice will prevent the theft of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies that could endanger our national security,” Garland said.

According to the indictment, the suspect is being prosecuted for secretly downloading more than 500 files related to Google’s artificial intelligence research since May 2022.

• “The defendant stole AI-related trade secrets from Google while secretly working for two companies located in China. We will fiercely protect sensitive technologies developed in America so that they do not fall into the hands of those who should not possess them,” the website of the Ministry of Justice states.

FBI Director Christopher Wray revealed how far “affiliates” of companies based in the People’s Republic of China are willing to go “to steal American innovation.”

• “The theft of innovative technologies and trade secrets from American companies (…) can have devastating consequences for the economy and national security,” he added.