Kazakh diplomats verifying citizenship of alleged arms dealer detained in US
"We received information from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about the detention of a supposed citizen of Kazakhstan, born in 1990, and his accomplice, a citizen of Kyrgyzstan, on charges of international trafficking and smuggling firearms to Russia, as well as money laundering, bank, and other fraud," Kazakh MFA's official representative Anuar Zhainakov said Friday.
According to him, the detainees intended to smuggle firearms purchased in the U.S. to Chechnya.
Zhainakov added that, according to the U.S. side, the suspects purchased more than 100 disassembled firearms in several cities in Virginia and tried to ship them to Chechnya without a license, disguising them as kitchen utensils and car covers seats.
He added that Kazakh diplomats in the United States are in contact with the lawyer of the detained Eldar Rezvanov, and are working in close contact with the DHS to establish the circumstances of the detention.
"Work is under way to establish the citizenship of the detainee," Mr. Zainakov concluded.