MOSCOW. Oct 30 (Interfax) - Crime lord Igor Kokunov has been extradited to Russia from Albania, Russian Interior Ministry spokesperson Irina Volk said.
"Russian citizen Igor Kokunov has been extradited from Albania to Russia under the convoy of officers of the Russian Interior Ministry's Interpol National Central Bureau and the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service. He is charged with having the highest position in the criminal hierarchy," Volk told reporters on Wednesday.
The investigators said the defendant has had a "corresponding tacit status and a certain sphere of influence" since 1993.
"He was recognized in Moscow as a so-called thief in law, which allowed him to supervise the activities of criminal groups across Russia," she said.
A criminal case was opened against Kokunov in 2020 for occupying the top position in the criminal hierarchy. The defendant was placed on an international wanted list in August 2023, after which he was detained by law enforcement authorities in Albania.