American Held as Spy in Moscow

Russia’s security service said Wednesday that it has arrested a U.S. businessman for suspected espionage after he allegedly bought information on defense technology from Russian scientists.

The FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, didn’t identify the American. It said it had also arrested a Russian expert on military technology who is alleged to be an accomplice.

With few details of the case made public, it was unclear whether the arrests would further strain relations between Washington and Moscow in the weeks before Russian President-elect Vladimir V. Putin is sworn in to office.

The arrests come at a time when the FSB--which until last summer was headed by Putin--appears to be growing politically stronger and more aggressive in its investigative activities. Putin, who spent 16 years as a KGB agent, has appointed some of his longtime friends from the KGB to top posts at the FSB, as well as to other key positions in the Kremlin.

According to a statement released by the FSB, the accused U.S. spy was the head of a private firm and had previously worked for a U.S. intelligence agency.

“Materials obtained during the course of the investigations show the foreigner deliberately established contacts over a long period of time with Russian scientists in Moscow, Novosibirsk and other cities of our country with a view to collecting information containing Russian state secrets,” the FSB said.

The NTV network reported that the FSB had been following the American and the Russian scientist for some time. The American was known to have traveled many times to cities where defense enterprises are located, the report said.

According to NTV, agents were waiting for the Russian scientist and arrested him after he emerged from a meeting at the American’s place of business in Moscow. The independent network reported that he was allegedly carrying $30,000 that the American had paid him for the latest top-secret blueprints to new submarine-based missiles. Agents then entered the building, arrested the American and searched the premises.

All three major TV networks showed footage released by the FSB of sketches purportedly sold to the American and thousands of dollars the Russian allegedly received.

In a statement, the FSB said its investigators had found numerous incriminating documents in the American’s possession, including technical plans for various kinds of equipment and recordings of conversations with Russian scientists who work in the defense industry. The arrested American also had receipts for the payment of cash to various Russians, the FSB said.

In Washington, State Department spokesman James P. Rubin said Russian authorities had informed the U.S. Embassy that the American was being held on suspicion of espionage but that no charges had been filed yet.

Rubin said the chief of the American Citizen Services section at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow visited the American on Tuesday.

“The citizen appeared to be in good health and made no complaints of mistreatment,” Rubin said. “He indicated that he expects this matter to be resolved in a short time.”

Rubin declined to provide further details on the case other than to say the U.S. Embassy will try to ensure that the American is treated fairly under Russian law.

The CIA declined to confirm or deny whether the American was an intelligence agent.

The arrest of accused spies in Russia and the United States has long been a part of the relations between the two countries.

Late last year, Russia expelled U.S. diplomat Cheri Leberknight after accusing her of trying to obtain secret military information from a Russian citizen.

Soon after, Washington ordered Russian diplomat Stanislav B. Gusev to leave the country after he was allegedly caught listening to conversations transmitted by a hidden device planted in the State Department.

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Times staff writer Bob Drogin in Washington contributed to this report.