A former employee of major Japanese trading house Sojitz Corp. has been arrested on suspicion of unlawfully obtaining trade secrets from a rival company he used to work for, police said Thursday.

Shosuke Manabe, 32, is suspected of downloading three data files belonging to Kanematsu Corp., which contained confidential trade details on auto parts, on July 16 last year using a personal computer at home, according to the Tokyo police. Manabe had just started working at Sojitz at the time, they said.

Manabe was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of violating Japan's antimonopoly law, which bans the unauthorized use or disclosure of trade secrets. He has denied the allegations, the police said.

The downloaded files contained a new product development proposal for manufacturers and a financial overview, including anticipated revenue, product pricing, and transportation expenses.

Manabe began his career at Kanematsu in 2014, specializing in auto parts and managing overseas transactions. He left Kanematsu in June 2022 and joined Sojitz the following month.

The police believe Manabe accessed Kanematsu's database using the login credentials of a former colleague, who was a temporary employee at Kanematsu at the time.

After being contacted by Kanematsu last September, the Tokyo police searched both Sojitz's office and Manabe's residence in April. Sojitz fired Manabe in May.

Sojitz said in a statement that it is "extremely regrettable" that the former employee has been arrested for illegally taking information from his previous workplace.

While denying any institutional involvement, Sojitz said it will fully cooperate with investigations and implement measures to prevent a recurrence.

Both trading firms are listed on the top-tier Prime Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

==Kyodo

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