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Russia expects explanations from USA over detention of Russian national in third country

Russian citizen Roman Seleznyov, whom the US suspects of cybercrime and personal data theft has been detained in the Maldives and is in custody on the US island of Guam in the Pacific Ocean
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov ITAR-TASS/Valery Sharifulin
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
© ITAR-TASS/Valery Sharifulin

MOSCOW, July 9. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia expects explanations from the United States over the detention of a Russian national in a third country, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov stated on Wednesday.

Detention of Roman Seleznyov

Son of State Duma lawmaker Valery Seleznyov representing the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), Russian citizen Roman Seleznyov, whom the US suspects of cybercrime and personal data theft is in custody on the US island of Guam in the Pacific Ocean, Western District of Washington Assistant US Attorney, Todd Greenberg, reported on Tuesday, July 8.

It was the first time that the 30-year-old Russian charged with stealing and trading credit card data faced the court in Guam, he said. The judge’s verdict was to keep Seleznyov in custody. The next court hearing is scheduled for July 22.

The case is being scrutinized by special departments for cyber-and financial crime of the US Secret Service and Department of Justice, as well as Washington Attorney.

On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security and the US Secret Service announced Seleznyov had been detained on Saturday, July 5. According to the investigators, he is registered as Moscow resident and known among hackers as Track2.

Seleznyov is suspected of having stolen and sold data about the US citizens’ credit cards from October 2009 to February 2011. For these purposes, he had hacked the US retail payment systems using malicious software, the investigators said. Seleznyov allegedly controlled several servers worldwide, created and maintained a number of special forums to sell the stolen information.