The Russian secret services (FSB, former KGB) said Tuesday that a Russian man working as a CIA agent was arrested in 1998 as he attempted to hand over secret information to a US contact, the Red Star newspaper reported.
Oleg Sabayev enlisted officers working in the Russian strategic nuclear forces, who provided him with information, which he then passed on to the Americans, the head of the FSB's Moscow division General Valery Falunin told the daily.
However, Sabayev cooperated heavily with the FSB and all charges against him were later dropped, Falunin added.
Separately, a military financial expert and a former defense ministry official were arrested in April on charges of attempting to sell secret topographical maps abroad.
In April, the FSB arrested retired US naval intelligence officer Edmond Pope for obtaining classified blueprints of the high-speed underwater Shkval (Squall) torpedo.
Pope, who suffers from a rare form of bone cancer, was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment but was released by a presidential pardon from Vladimir Putin on December 14 -- MOSCOW (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
