Support The Moscow Times!

Cops in Catholic Robbery

Four police patrol officers in the Moscow region town of Zheleznodorozhny and a friend are accused of robbing and beating to death a Tajik-born Catholic believer who was transporting money for the church, the Investigative Committee said Wednesday.

The victim, identified by Lifenews.ru as Akhmed Merizov, 33, was stopped by the police officers for a document check late Oct. 2.

After the policemen realized that the man was transporting 45,000 rubles ($1,400), they released him but tipped off the friend, who attacked Merizov, killing him and taking the money, which was divided between the five suspects, the committee said.

The suspected killer, Alexei Zaitsev, and one of the policemen have been detained, while the rest have been placed on a national wanted list, Lifenews.ru said.

The Catholic church’s main offices in Russia had no immediate comment about the incident.

(MT)


… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more