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Ex-Russian Official Accused of Espionage, Japan's Security Threatened

2/3/2026

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Summary

Story summary

A former Russian trade official is accused of violating unfair competition laws, with prosecutors referring the case on January 20.
The case exposes vulnerabilities in Japan's industrial security as it strengthens anti-spying laws.
The Russian suspect, believed to be an undercover agent, befriended a Japanese employee over two years and exchanged sensitive machine-tool technology details for about 700,000 yen.
Security experts in Japan have raised alarms over the incident.

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Story summary

A former Russian trade official is accused of violating unfair competition laws, with prosecutors referring the case on January 20.
The case exposes vulnerabilities in Japan's industrial security as it strengthens anti-spying laws.
The Russian suspect, believed to be an undercover agent, befriended a Japanese employee over two years and exchanged sensitive machine-tool technology details for about 700,000 yen.
Security experts in Japan have raised alarms over the incident.