FBI personnel recalled from Asia in prostitution probe

Washington:Several FBI employees have been recalled from cities across Asia in recent months while the Justice Department's inspector general examines allegations related to parties and interactions with prostitutes, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The probe involves Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel in half a dozen cities, including in East and Southeast Asia, the daily said on Thursday.

The exact nature of the allegations against the FBI personnel and where the incidents allegedly took place was not immediately clear, according to the Journal.

In a statement to CNN, the FBI said: "All FBI employees are held to the highest standards of conduct, and allegations against any employee are taken very seriously.

"Upon learning of these allegations of misconduct... Action was taken to reassign certain personnel to non-operational roles while the allegations are reviewed. No additional information will be provided." 

Although the vast majority of the FBI's approximately 36,000 employees are based in the US, the bureau maintains a large presence of special agents and support staff in embassies across the world who work with foreign law enforcement agencies on matters of mutual interest. 

These permanently assigned international personnel are augmented by FBI global response teams based in the US.

In 2012, the Secret Service disciplined nearly a dozen agents amid allegations of interactions with prostitutes in Colombia while preparing for a visit by former President Barack Obama.

In 2015, US Drug Enforcement Administration agents in foreign postings attended sex parties with prostitutes paid for by drug cartels, the Justice Department found.