An Italian naval officer was arrested in the middle of meeting a Russian official to hand over secret documents, officials say

<p><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/6064584c21887500193e8531-1500/rome colisseum night.jpg" border="0" alt="rome colisseum night" data-mce-source="Filippo Monteforte/AFP via Getty Images" data-mce-caption="People wearing protective face masks take pictures in front of the Colosseum in Rome on November 11, 2020."></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>An Italian naval officer was arrested while meeting with a Russian officer to hand him secret documents, police said, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56588506">according to the BBC</a>.</p><p>Police also said that they arrested the Russian diplomat, <a href="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/italy-police-arrest-russian-official-075616152.html'guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHZNt0ZjnVAEvnYPCqea1fqx_L8pYs6w8yhmaRj3Y8-BujjZ6qSWV19P_-vyW-fUPOAqkbjh5823H6vXoD075u4Uf65-efDcR0cTqWq184J3pvNBLAhaq7WQ8zbbaKAQUUejnsTH-wfiEDg9noCpLviy3qT8TfNHMAVy2suERdFL">Reuters reported, and that the two individuals, who were not identified, </a>were accused of "serious crimes tied to spying and state security," according to Reuters.</p><p>The Italian regional newspaper Testata Giornalistica Regionale <a href="https://twitter.com/TgrRai/status/1377204296257781760">reported</a> that the Italian officer was passing secret NATO documents to the Russian.</p><p>A police statement said the two were caught in Rome "during a clandestine meeting between the two, caught immediately after the transfer of a document by the Italian officer in exchange for a sum of money," the BBC reported.</p><p>Italian special operations swooped in on the Tuesday night meeting in Rome, police said, according to the BBC.</p><p>Italy's foreign ministry said it had summoned Russian ambassador Sergey Razov, according to Reuters.</p><p>The naval officer has been taken into custody, Reuters reported.</p><p>But the Russian diplomat has not yet been because of their status, and police are considering what actions to take, per Reuters.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/italy-naval-officer-arrested-while-meeting-russia-agent-suspected-spying-2021-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-to-do-your-own-taxes-for-the-very-first-time-2018-2">July 15 is Tax Dayhere's what it's like to do your own taxes for the very first time</a></p>
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