Detained Japanese spy actively involved in 2020 protests in Belarus

The program “The Failure of a Samurai from Tokyo” aired by the Belarus 1 TV channel showed that Japanese spy Masatoshi Nakanishi actively participated in the 2020 protests in Belarus, BelTA has learned.

The activities of Japanese special services have been suppressed in Belarus. An agent, a Japanese citizen Masatoshi Nakanishi, has been caught. His extensive interests included the socio-political situation in Belarus, China’s Belt and Road Initiative and developments on the Belarus-Ukraine border where he filmed military infrastructure. He collected all kinds of information related to socio-political situation in Belarus, from prices and assortment in stores to social sentiments, work of enterprises, schools, universities. During the 2020 events, the intensity of communication between Masatoshi Nakanishi and his handler from Japan increased sharply. Before that, there were 1-2 messages per month, but during the 2020 events there was regular correspondence and six calls in two weeks. He went to rallies like it was his work. He took photos, talked to people in the crowd.

When asked how many times he attended rallies, the Japanese said. “I don't remember exactly, but ten or about 15 times,” he said.

The second spike of communication with the handler was reported after the start of the special military operation in February 2022. The handler was interested in the availability of food products in stores, the number of Ukrainian refugees, and Russian weapons and the military. The spy was tasked to take photos and videos. He was also asked to find out whether Western sanctions worked, whether the Mir payment system helped bypass them, whether people are detained on the street for photographing strategic facilities.

“I wanted to know what the situation was, what was happening at the old airfield. I knew about the old military airfield near the Zyabrovka station [Gomel Oblast],” the Japanese noted.

Masatoshi Nakanishi was very cautious. For example, to figure out whether he was being tailed, he would get on a trolleybus and ride along the route three times in a row, checking bypassing cars.

“I took photos and videos of the airport in Gomel. And then I sent the photos and videos to Sato [the agent handler],” he added.