Russia's FSB detains and expels Japanese consul for alleged spying, agencies say

Russia's FSB security agency said on Monday it had detained a Japanese consul in Russia's Pacific port city of Vladivostok for alleged espionage and ordered him to leave the country, Russian news agencies said.

The consul was released after a few hours of detention by the Russian agency, Japan's Kyodo news reported on Tuesday, citing government sources.

The FSB said the consul was declared persona non grata after he was caught "red-handed" receiving secret information on the effects of Western sanctions on the economic situation in Russia's far east.

It said the classified information, which also concerned Russia's cooperation with an unnamed Asia-Pacific country, had been obtained in return for a "monetary reward".

Russia has protested to Japan, the agencies quoted the FSB as saying.

Japan's Embassy in Russia lodged a severe protest about the detention to Moscow's foreign ministry, saying "it was a clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations" and the order to leave the country was "unreasonable", according to Kyodo.