Russia sends Belarus extradition documents for alleged VAT scheme organiser

Russian investigators have sent Belarus documents seeking the extradition of Alexander Osin, whom they consider the organiser of a large fictitious VAT scheme, Investigative Committee chief Alexander Bastrykin told RIA Novosti in an interview published on October 18.

Bastrykin said Osin had fled investigators and was detained in Belarus. The alleged organiser's detention abroad had already been reported in July. Belarusian authorities are considering his extradition to Russia.

Investigators link the case to an operation shut down in Moscow in April. They allege that the scheme used four thousand fictitious legal entities and false invoices, depriving the budget of more than one trillion roubles in tax revenue.

Bastrykin also said forensic specialists had recovered deleted data from a suspect's mobile device. He said the recovery helped establish the roles of 12 alleged accomplices and identify other participants.