A Canadian woman has been arrested on suspicion of espionage after allegedly spying while working as an intern at NATO's top military headquarters in Belgium, prosecutors said.

Belgium's Federal Public Prosecutor's Office said the woman, who is of Chinese origin, was arrested Friday on suspicion of spying for an unidentified third country and belonging to a criminal organization.

Authorities searched her home and workplace before taking her into custody. Prosecutors have not identified the suspect or disclosed which country or organization she is accused of spying for.

The woman was working at NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, or SHAPE, in Mons, Belgium. The base serves as the alliance's military command center, overseeing planning and operations for NATO's 32 member nations.

The investigation began after SHAPE's security services alerted Belgian intelligence officials to the suspect, leading to the searches and her arrest.

Despite the allegations, SHAPE said there is no evidence the case compromised NATO operations.

"There is no indication that NATO or SHAPE operational readiness, command and control arrangements or ongoing tasks had been affected," a spokesperson said, adding that the headquarters continues to carry out its mission without interruption.

Canada and Belgium are both NATO members. The alliance has identified China as a security challenge since 2021, alongside threats from Russia and instability in the Middle East.

Belgian prosecutors said the investigation remains ongoing and declined further comment.