A 26-year-old Azerbaijani man has been arrested in Crete on suspicion of spying, based on intelligence information provided to Greek police. The man was detained on Sunday after having stayed in a hotel since June 18. His accommodation was located near a crucial naval and air force base in western Crete, a facility deemed strategic for Greece, the United States, and the broader NATO military alliance operating in the eastern Mediterranean region.

Upon searching the suspect's hotel room, authorities confiscated a laptop and other digital equipment. Sources familiar with the investigation informed Reuters that over 5,000 photographs and encryption software were discovered on the confiscated laptop. The ongoing investigation aims to determine if the arrested individual was actively monitoring the base situated in Souda.

Furthermore, authorities are exploring a potential connection between this incident and the recent arrest of a British man in Cyprus on Friday, who also faces suspicions of espionage and terror-related offenses. The man apprehended in Cyprus is reportedly believed to have kept RAF Akrotiri, the United Kingdom's most significant airbase for Middle East operations, under surveillance. While a Foreign Office spokesman confirmed the arrest of a Briton, local media in Cyprus have suggested the man might be Azerbaijani with alleged ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The individual arrested in Crete, who local media reports indicate possesses a Polish passport, is expected to appear before a prosecutor later this week as the investigation continues.