In a historic ruling, a New Zealand military court has found a soldier guilty of attempted espionage — the first spying conviction in the country’s history.

The soldier, whose identity remains suppressed by the court, admitted to offering sensitive military information to an undercover officer he believed was an agent of a foreign power. The information included maps, photographs, telephone directories of military camps, and even details on vulnerabilities at Linton Military Camp and nearby Ohakea Air Base.

According to court documents, the soldier went as far as claiming he could smuggle a covert device into Army Headquarters, highlighting how serious the breach could have been.

He pleaded guilty to three charges: attempted espionage, dishonest use of a computer system, and possession of objectionable material. During a search of his home, investigators found service ammunition, a hard drive containing a livestreamed video of the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks, and the manifesto of the shooter, Brenton Tarrant.

The soldier first came under government surveillance after the Christchurch attack, as authorities tightened scrutiny on right-wing extremist groups. Prosecutors revealed that he had expressed an interest in defecting and made contact with someone he believed to be a foreign agent, who turned out to be an undercover officer.

This conviction is the first of its kind in New Zealand. The only other espionage trial in the country’s history was in 1975, when a public servant was acquitted.

The unprecedented case has raised concerns about internal threats and extremist influence within the armed forces, as well as the need for tighter security measures to safeguard military information.