China's MSS unveils a new case on illegal surveying and mapping

China's Ministry of State Security unveiled on Tuesday a new case based on a real-life story about a taxi driver reporting some suspicious activities to the national security authorities. It was discovered that these activities involved illegal surveying and mapping to steal a large amount of sensitive geographic information and classified geological data.

The taxi driver, who is also a tour guide, lives in a picturesque, climate-friendly small town known for its tourism. During the peak tourist season, the taxi driver works as a tour guide, and in the off-season, he drives a taxi. Every day, he shuttles various tourists between stations, hotels, scenic spots, and restaurants.

One day, while in his car waiting for passengers, a young woman approached and asked, "Can I hire your car for the day?"

“Of course, that's what I do," he said.

"How much do you charge? Are you familiar with the local roads?" the woman asked.

The driver asked if the woman was there for tourism, explaining that he is not just a driver but also a tour guide, familiar with both the city and the rural roads.

“It's 200 yuan ($27.5) a day, plus gas. Wherever you want to go, I'll take you there,” the driver said. The woman readily agreed and told him the time and place to pick her up the next day.

The next day, the driver arrived at the hotel as agreed. Along with the lady, there were three other people, one of whom was a foreigner.

The driver followed their directions, and the road became increasingly narrow.

"There's no tourist spot in this direction! Why are they heading to such a remote place?" the driver wondered to himself.

After a while, they finally reached the destination where a large truck was waiting, and they started unloading goods including over 20 boxes of various sizes, many wires, and a generator.

The driver secretly asked the truck driver what these people were doing. The truck driver said they had been working there for a few days, claiming to be detecting hot springs.

The driver wondered why he had never heard of hot springs in this area, and even if there were, why would foreigners be the ones to detect them?

It suddenly occurred to him that there was an important research base in these mountains and he became nervous, beginning to pay close attention to their every move.

As they were finishing up, the driver overheard someone say, "Did you hide the wire well?" "Yes, it's well hidden."

Does conducting legitimate operations require hiding things? What exactly are these people doing? The driver's mind was filled with questions.

On the return journey, the driver became increasingly suspicious of their behavior, so he came up with a plan to test them. Instead of taking the same route back, he chose a different road to see how they would react.

Shortly after they set off, the lady anxiously said, "Hey! Where are you going? This isn’t the way!"

"This road is the shortest, didn't you know?" the driver responded.

His answer reassured her, but it made him even more suspicious. Why would researchers or tourists be so familiar with these remote mountain roads? They must have planned their route in advance or scouted the area beforehand. Moreover, why were they so nervous just because he took a different route?

After returning home, the driver repeatedly recalled the events of the day, and no matter how he thought about it, something seemed off.

The word "spy" suddenly flashed in his mind. “Could these people be spies?” the driver asked himself.

He later told his wife about it, and she thought he was being too sensitive. However, during his annual tour guide training, the driver received national security education, and some warning cases made him realize that they were indeed very suspicious.

After much deliberation, he decided to report them. Whether they were spies or not, the driver felt it was his duty to report any suspicious activity. Finally, he dialed the national security reporting hotline and reported the situation to the relevant authorities.

According to the investigation by the national security authorities, it was revealed that this group was serving a certain country's surveying and mapping agency.

They had conducted illegal surveys in multiple provinces in China without authorization, stealing a large amount of sensitive fundamental geographic information and classified geological data, thereby threatening China’s national security.

The relevant people were lawfully dealt with by the national security authorities.

Because of the driver's timely report, the national security authorities rewarded him and held a commendation ceremony where he was presented with an honorary certificate.

“I never imagined that someone as ordinary as me could contribute to safeguarding national security. This is the greatest honor and pride of my life,” the driver said, noting that this experience has also made him realize that in maintaining national security, ordinary people can be heroes.