US detain Russian over illegal exports of Apple electronics

MOSCOW/NEW YORK, Oct 22 (PRIME) -- Russia’s Consulate General in New York has received notification from the U.S. government that it detained a Russian over his activity as a part of an international organized crime ring engaged in illegal exports of electronics, the Consulate General said in a statement on its Twitter page late on Wednesday.

“The Consulate General received a notification from U.S. law enforcement authorities today that they detained a Russian citizen, the only one from the U.S. Justice Ministry’s list, as a part of an international crime ring on charges of conspiracy with the goal of illegal exports of electronics,” the authority said without naming the detainee.

U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York said in a statement that the U.S. government pressed charged on 10 people for smuggling electronics from the U.S. to Russia worth U.S. $50 million in collusion with the former and current employees of Russian national flagship carrier Aeroflot. Muscovite Sayuz Daibagia was among the 10 people.

Aeroflot said the list of people does not contain any current or former employees.

The Attorney’s Office said the people smuggled Apple products to Russia, including iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches. As a result of the investigation, the U.S. Department of the State cancelled 113 visas of Aeroflot’s employees.

Alexei Topolsky, the press secretary of the Russian Consulate General, told PRIME that the detained Russian had not yet requested any help.

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