The wife of a Chinese national arrested this month in the Philippines for alleged possession of espionage equipment has denied claims that her husband is a spy.

Philippine authorities, including the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), detained the 39-year-old man and his two Filipino companions after discovering high-precision topographic mapping equipment in their vehicle.

Speaking through community leader Teresita Ang See, the wife criticized the arrest, claiming that her husband has no ties to China’s military.

“We know nothing about that. The news is wrong that he is connected to the Chinese army,” she said in the vernacular.

She also alleged that authorities have denied her access to her husband since his arrest, a claim Ang See corroborated.

The NBI and the Armed Forces of the Philippines have suggested that the suspect may be linked to efforts by a foreign power to map critical areas of the Philippines, though investigations are ongoing.