Japan arrests ex-SoftBank employee suspected of stealing information and spying for Russia
- Yutaka Araki is suspected of obtaining ‘trade secrets from a computer server at a telecommunication-related company on February 18 last year’ said police
Japanese police have arrested a former SoftBank employee for allegedly stealing proprietary information from the telecoms giant and giving it to Russian officials, police and media reports said Sunday.
Yutaka Araki, 48, is suspected of obtaining “trade secrets from a computer server at a telecommunication-related company on February 18 last year, in violation of Japan’s unfair competition prevention law,” Tokyo police said in a statement.
Authorities did not identify the firm, but local media said it was major mobile carrier SoftBank Corp, a unit of the SoftBank Group.
Police suspect Russian trade officials at Moscow’s mission in Tokyo were involved in espionage, Jiji Press and other local media reported.
The reports added that the police have asked the Russian embassy to present two officials to the authorities.
In a statement on its verified Facebook page, the Russian embassy described the media reports as “regrettable” and “cheap spy allegations”.