MINSK, 18 October (BelTA) – The United States of America has deported to Belarus a fugitive from criminal prosecution, BelTA learned from the press service of the Investigative Committee.
“Law enforcement officials of the United States of America handed over a criminal to representatives of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Belarus at Minsk National Airport on 17 October. The 21-year old resident of Grodno tried to escape criminal trial in the USA, but was captured and deported from the United States after nearly two years on the run. The extradition became possible after a memorandum of understanding and legal assistance in criminal matters was signed by FBI Associate Deputy Director Paul M. Abbate and Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Belarus Ivan Noskevich at the FBI headquarters in Washington on 30 January,” the press service informed.
In June 2015, the Grodno-born national was convicted by the Oktyabrsky District Court of Grodno for illegal trafficking in psychotropic substances (Article 328 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus). Nevertheless, the convict committed new crimes while enduring the punishment. “On 27 May 2016 he purchased a highly dangerous psychotropic substance via the Internet and was detained with this substance by the police in Grodno the following day. While the investigation was in progress, the suspect ran away and was accused in his absence of committing two crimes: illegal trafficking in psychotropic substances (Article 328 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus) and violation of probation (Article 415 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus). Remand in custody was chosen as a pre-trial restriction. He was put on the national wanted list and was featured in the Interpol wanted list. At the same time law enforcement agents managed to identify and arrest the person who had sold the psychotropic substance to the fugitive,” the Investigative Committee noted.
In August 2017 the fugitive national of the Republic of Belarus was detained by the police of Jackson County in the U.S. state of Florida on fraud charges.
The criminal proceedings were resumed. After completing all the necessary investigation procedures, the accused will be put in a detention center.
The Investigative Committee of the Republic of Belarus expresses gratitude to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Interpol National Central Bureaus in the United States and the Republic of Belarus, the U.S. Embassy in the Republic of Belarus for consistent implementation of the memorandum and other arrangements, assistance in implementing the principle of inevitability of punishment. The Investigative Committee is committed to do the same.
