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Dominican Republic extradites criminals wanted by Interpol to Russia

Darya Vinogradova,47, and Vladimir Kondrashin, 54, were brought to Moscow on a flight from Punta Cana

MOSCOW, October 19 (Itar-Tass) — The Dominican Republic has extradited two Russian citizens wanted in Russia on charges of drug trafficking and abuse of office. A spokeswoman for the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) for Russia told Itar-Tass on Friday that the Russian NCB carried out the deportation of two Russian citizens from the Dominican Republic to Moscow on Thursday.

Darya Vinogradova,47, and Vladimir Kondrashin, 54, were brought to Moscow on a flight from Punta Cana, the spokeswoman said. Darya Vinogradova faces the charge of drugs trafficking. The investigation claims that in 2009 Vinogradova bought more than a kilogram of cocaine from unidentified drug dealers in the Dominican Republic for purposes of transporting the cocaine to Russia. The cocaine packed in tiny plastic containers carrying 5 grams each was turned over to two drug couriers who were to have transported the cocaine in their stomachs. Both drug couriers were detained at Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow.

Vinogardova was put on the Interpol wanted list on a warrant issued in Russia by the Russian Federal Service for Control of Drugs (FSKN). In September, she was detained in the Dominican Republic.

Vladimir Kondrashin, also extradited to Russia and brought to Moscow, was accused of abuse of office. The investigation claims that in 2007 Kondrashin abused his position as acting director of a company and turned over three apartments, which belonged to the Moscow city housing fund, to private owners. Kondrashin was put on the Interpol wanted list on a warrant issued by the Moscow Head Interior Department in September 2009; he was detained on the territory of the Dominican Republic on October 2, 2012.

On Thursday the Russian competent bodies also extradited a citizen of Vietnam detained by NCB on a warrant issued by Vietnamese law enforcers for extortion of 500,000 roubles from a citizen of Vietnam. The woman put on the Interpol wanted list in September 2011 was detained in Moscow in July 2012.

The geography of countries where the authorities make decisions on extradition of runaway criminals has been expanding annually. In 2012, Cambodia, the Dominican Republic and Ghana joined the list.

The above mentioned episodes are an example of active cooperation of the Russian Interior Ministry with Caribbean countries and counties of the Asian region. In future this cooperation will continue to develop, NCB said.

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