Novosibirsk Region vice governor arrested in Moscow on suspicion of illegal drug trafficking

Novosibirsk Region Vice Governor was arrested in Moscow on suspicion of illegal drug trafficking

Former First Deputy Governor of Novosibirsk Region Yury Petukhov has been arrested on charges of illegal drug trafficking (Article 228 of the Criminal Code), Kommersant reports, citing sources.

According to the publication, FSB officers detained Petukhov in Moscow, where he was on a business trip.

Sources said the official was detained with a “small quantity” of drugs, which he had allegedly bought for himself, “but several more packets of drugs were found in the hotel room.”

Petukhov, it is claimed, admitted guilt. Lefortovo District Court placed him in pretrial detention. It is not specified when exactly the arrest was ordered.

According to Kommersant, at the time of his detention Petukhov still held the post of vice governor. On June 8, Novosibirsk Region head Andrey Travnikov announced Petukhov’s dismissal. At the time, he did not specify the reason for the resignation.

Yury Petukhov had held the post of first vice governor of Novosibirsk Region since 2015. Kommersant called him the chief overseer of domestic policy in Novosibirsk Region.

@meduzalive