Washington, US

A former US Marine pilot, currently fighting extradition from Australia on charges filed by the US for allegedly training Chinese military pilots in aircraft carrier landings, collaborated unknowingly with a Chinese hacker, according to his lawyer. 

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Recently, Duggan's lawyer shed light on his client's unwitting association with a convicted Chinese defence hacker, adding a layer of complexity to the case.

Duggan, a naturalised Australian citizen, expressed concerns about requests for sensitive information from Western intelligence agencies, fearing for his family's safety. He denied any wrongdoing regarding US arms control laws but has been detained in an Australian maximum-security prison since his arrest in 2022 upon returning from a six-year stint in Beijing.

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Links to convicted Chinese hacker Su Bin

In a legal filing supporting Reuters' investigative findings, Duggan's lawyer, Bernard Collaery, revealed correspondence between Duggan and Su Bin, a convicted Chinese defence hacker. Su Bin, arrested in Canada in 2014, admitted to stealing US military aircraft designs through hacking. Duggan's lawyer maintains that his client's interaction with Su Bin was unrelated to the charges against him.

Evidence presented in extradition documents indicated that Su Bin facilitated Duggan's travel from Australia to Beijing in 2012.

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Duggan, known to Su Bin as an employment broker for the Chinese state aviation company AVIC, sought assistance in sourcing aircraft parts for his business in Australia. Despite this association, Duggan's lawyer asserted that his client was unaware of Su Bin's potential improper connections.

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Duggan's legal team contests the extradition, arguing that there is no evidence linking the Chinese pilots he trained to the military. 

(With inputs from agencies)