Exclusive | Chinese spy chief Ma Jian detained as corruption crackdown widens
Investigators detain deputy state security minister Ma Jian in probe believed linked to mainland tech firm Founder Group
Ma Jian, one of the mainland's top spy chiefs, has been detained over alleged corruption as part of President Xi Jinping's ever-widening crackdown on graft, sources with direct knowledge of the situation have told the South China Morning Post.
The sources also revealed that several of Ma's close relatives were under investigation.
It is not clear what triggered the probes, but it is believed to be linked to a high-profile anti-graft investigation into activities at the top of Founder Group, a Peking University-owned technology conglomerate.
Ma, the executive deputy minister of the omnipotent Ministry of State Security and who sources say was in charge of the mainland's massive counter-espionage operations, is believed to be close to Founder chief executive Li You who allegedly financed hugely profitable securities trades carried out by one of Ma's relatives.
Founder has been involved in a high-profile spat with Beijing Zenith, a property developer with a mysterious background, but which is also the second-biggest shareholder in the conglomerate's Founder Securities unit.
Beijing Zenith publicly accused Founder executives of insider trading and misappropriating company assets to the tune of several billion yuan.
Group chairman Wei Xin, CEO Li and president Yu Li were taken away to "assist the authorities with their investigations", Founder said last week.