Italy Agrees to Extradition of Chinese Hacker Linked to COVID-19 Research Theft

The Italian government has approved the extradition of Chinese national Xu Zewei to the U.S., where he faces charges for allegedly hacking COVID-19 research. Arrested in Milan, Xu is accused of wire fraud, identity theft, and cyber-espionage, believed to be linked to the Chinese government.

In a significant move, the Italian government has given the green light for the extradition of Xu Zewei, a Chinese national wanted by the U.S. on hacking charges.

The charges allege Xu's involvement in the theft of COVID-19 medical research, with accusations of wire fraud and identity theft during 2020 and 2021.

The U.S. Department of Justice claims Xu was part of a cyber-espionage team targeting American institutions and was connected to the group Hafnium, blamed for infiltrating global computers.