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British counter-terrorism unit investigates death of late tycoon Berezovsky’s associate

The death is currently being treated as an "unexplained," according to the Metropolitan police

Nikolai Glushkov Vitaly Belousov/TASS

Nikolai Glushkov

© Vitaly Belousov/TASS

LONDON, March 13. /TASS/. The counter-terrorism command unit is leading the investigation into the March 12 death of Nikolai Glushkov, a close associate of late Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky, the Metropolitan police said.

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"An investigation is underway following the death of a man in his 60s in Kingston borough," the police said, adding that "at this stage the Met Police Counter Terrorism Command is leading the investigation as a precaution because of associations that the man is believed to have had."

According to a statement, "police were called by the London Ambulance Service at 22:46hrs on Monday, March 12, to reports of a man found deceased at a residential address in Clarence Avenue, New Malden."

"Officers attended and next of kin have been informed. Whilst we believe we know the identity of the deceased, formal identification is yet to take place. A post-mortem examination will be held in due course," the source added.

The Metropolitan police also said that "the death is currently being treated as an unexplained," while "there is no evidence to suggest a link to the incident in Salisbury."

Glushkov’s trials

In the 1990s, Glushkov served as deputy managing director at Russia’s flag carrier Aeroflot and worked for Berezovsky’s LogoVAZ car company.

In 2000, he was arrested in connection with the embezzlement of Aeroflot’s funds, and later charged with fraud and money laundering. In 2004, he was sentenced to three years and three months behind bars but was released in the courtroom having served the term in custody.

In recent years, Glushkov lived in the United Kingdom as he had been granted political asylum there in 2010. In March 2017, Moscow’s Savelovsky District Court handed him a second eight-year sentence in absentia for the embezzlement of Aeroflot’s funds.

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