Russia expels Japanese consul for espionage

MOSCOW, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- A Japanese diplomat based in Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok is being expelled after being detained for espionage, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Monday.

A consul of the Consulate General of Japan in Vladivostok was "detained red-handed while receiving, for a money reward, information of limited distribution about the current aspects of Russia's cooperation with one of the Asia-Pacific countries, including the impact of Western sanctions on the economic situation in (Russia's) Primorsky Territory," an FSB statement read.

The Minister Counselor of the Japanese Embassy in Moscow was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday and was informed that the consul in question must leave Russia within 48 hours for activities incompatible with the status of a consular officer and detrimental to Russia's security interests, the ministry said in a statement.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has lodged a strong protest over the incident to the Japanese side.