FBI arrests Glasgow University student over U.S. military photos

A 21-year-old Chinese student studying at the University of Glasgow has been arrested in the United States after allegedly taking unauthorized photographs at a military installation, according to federal authorities.

Tianirui Liang, an aeronautical engineering student, was observed on Tuesday 31st March photographing aircraft at Offutt Air Force Base, home to U.S. Strategic Command, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in court filings.

Liang was detained on Tuesday 7th April at John F. Kennedy International Airport. He appeared in a New York court the following day and was initially released on bail. However, he was taken back into custody on Thursday 9th April after prosecutors argued he posed a “considerable flight risk.”

In an affidavit, FBI Special Agent Noah Heflin said Liang admitted he knew photographing at the base was illegal but told investigators the images were intended “only for his own personal collection.”

Authorities described Liang as an aviation enthusiast who had previously traveled across the United Kingdom to photograph both civilian and military aircraft.

According to legal documents, Liang arrived in Canada on Thursday 26th March to visit a friend studying at Columbia University in New York. The pair later drove into the United States, traveling across several states. After separating from his friend, Liang visited Ellsworth Air Force Base in an attempt to photograph a Rockwell B-1B Lancer. When the aircraft was no longer present, he continued to Offutt Air Force Base.

via Wikpedia Commons

At Offutt, Liang is accused of photographing multiple aircraft, including the Boeing E-4B, a heavily modified aircraft designed to serve as a mobile command center for senior U.S. officials during national emergencies. Nicknamed the “doomsday plane”, the aircraft is capable of withstanding nuclear strikes.

He faces charges under Title 18, Section 795 of the US Code, which prohibits photographing ‘vital’ military installations without permission.

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The student is expected to appear in court again later this month. However, the FBI has withheld full details citing an ongoing investigation into a named co-conspirator. 

This incident comes amongst a larger context of warnings from security officials that British universities have become “magnets” for espionage activities, according to the head of MI5 and University of Glasgow alumnus Ken McCallum.

Experts have cautioned that universities conducting cutting-edge research projects with international students may risk the inadvertent exposure of sensitive military and technological materials to foreign agents. 

In November, Nigel Inkster of the International Institute for Strategic Studies told the BBC there are “a lot of cases of joint research which have clear military-defence applications, where I would have thought it would occur to those engaged to ask questions about the desirability of continuing with such activities”. 

Liang’s lawyer, Jeffrey Thomas, from the Federal Public Defender’s Omaha office, did not respond to enquiries.

The US Attorney’s Office in Nebraska said it was unable to comment at this time.

A University of Glasgow spokesperson said: “We do not comment on ongoing police matters or individual students”. 

Featured image via Wikipedia Commons

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