Russia has opened its first treason case in favor of New Zealand.

FSB officers in Khabarovsk detained A 55-year-old local man has been charged with treason. This is New Zealand's first known treason case. According to security officials, the man provided classified information to foreign intelligence agencies in exchange for monetary compensation.

What is the Khabarovsk resident accused of?

Intelligence officers claimThe Khabarovsk resident proactively contacted representatives of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NSIS). This organization is part of the Five Eyes international intelligence alliance, along with the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Australia.

Investigators believe the accused acted out of selfish motives. However, he used foreign email services and messaging apps to transmit information. For example, New Zealand intelligence officers were allegedly interested in information about Russia's military-technical cooperation with countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Strange details of the search and sentencing statistics

However, a video of the search published by security forces shows stacks of American dollars. Furthermore, toy military vehicles bearing the Japanese flag and German symbols were captured on camera.

The human rights project "First Department" noted a sharp increase in such criminal cases. As a result, in the first quarter of 2026, Russian courts carried out At least 107 verdicts were handed down for treason and espionage. Consequently, March set a record, with 48 verdicts handed down.