Fake Police Steal $2M in Electronics

Oct. 7, 2010

Robbers pretending to be police officers have seized two trucks transporting electronic equipment worth 62 million rubles ($2 million) in St. Petersburg, Interfax reported Thursday.

The attackers, who wore police uniforms, stopped the vehicles in the city’s Krasnogvardeisky district and handcuffed the two drivers, both Belarussian citizens, as well as a private guard accompanying them, threatening the victims with machine guns.

The drivers and the guard were held for 10 hours in a forest in Leningrad region and then released, while the trucks and the equipment have disappeared, a law enforcement source told Interfax.

RIA-Novosti said the incident took place Tuesday but was only reported Thursday.

… 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