OTTAWA — Canada is working with its allies and reassuring them after the arrest of a top police intelligence official for allegedly leaking secrets, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday.

"We are in direct communications with our allies on security ... We are also working with them to reassure them, but we want to ensure that everyone understands that we are taking this situation very seriously," Trudeau said during a campaign stop in St. John's, Newfoundland.

Cameron Ortis, a director general with the national police force's intelligence unit, was charged on Friday under a 2012 security information law used to prosecute spies.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Commissioner Brenda Lucki is expected to provide a "short update" and answer questions on the case on Tuesday at 1 p.m. EDT.

On Monday, Lucki said the leaks could have hurt allied nations' intelligence operations.

"We are aware of the potential risk to agency operations of our partners in Canada and abroad and we thank them for their continued collaboration," she said.

Security experts have said the case could damage Canada's standing inside the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network that also includes the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Britain. — Reuters