Greek police, Czech embassy detail Arma dev arrests

The Greek police and the Czech embassy in Greece have released statements on the two Bohemia Interactive developers arrested for spying on the Greek island of Lemnos earlier this week.

The Greek police detailed the events surrounding the pair's arrest, saying officers in the police station of Myrina took the two into custody at around noon on September 9. The Czech nationals, 28 and 33 years old, are both charged with espionage. Their names have not been released.

An investigation conducted by the police officers found that the Bohemia Interactive developers were in possession of various audio-visual material with footage from military facilities in Lemnos and the area around it. Upon arrest, the pair reportedly told officers that they were conducting research for Bohemia Interactive's upcoming military shooter Arma III. This material has been seized, while the developers will be taken to the Court of the First Instance in Mytilini.

A statement from the Czech Republic embassy in Athens, Greece confirms that it is "closely following the case," and indicates that the arrested Bohemia Interactive staffers have met with their defense lawyer. The embassy declined to share further information, so as to "avoid any further misunderstanding."

Yesterday, Bohemia Interactive CEO Marek Spanel called the situation an "unfortunate misunderstanding." He said the pair were visiting the island of Lemnos "with the sole purpose of experiencing the island's beautiful surroundings."

"Since its establishment in 1999, Bohemia Interactive has created games based only upon publicly available information," Spanel said at the time. "We always respect the law and we've never instructed anybody to violate the laws of any country. The same is true for Arma III."