Japanese police have arrested a Russian national, who heads an Osaka-based trading company, for alleged illegal exports to Russia.
Andrey Sova, 38-year-old representative director of Astrade, is suspected of exporting items worth about 40 million yen, or about 250,000 dollars, to Russia in January of last year in violation of the foreign exchange act.
The items, including a ship engine and four water jet skis, are said to have been exported without government approval.
Exports of ship engines and jet skis among other items to Russia have been banned since it began its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 as part of Japan's economic sanctions.
The company is suspected of exporting the items from a port in Osaka, shipping them through South Korea and then to Russia, and they were confirmed to have arrived in a port in Vladivostok in February last year.
Japan's trade ministry says ship engines and jet skis can be converted for military use.
Police are investigating the details.
The suspect is said to have reserved comment on the allegations, saying he will speak to investigators after consulting with a lawyer.