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Aeroflot is consulting with diplomats on further actions in smuggling case

The airline’s spokeswoman Yulia Spivakova noted that the published list of citizens who were charged contains neither former nor current employees of Aeroflot

MOSCOW, October 20. /TASS/. Aeroflot Airlines is now discussing with Russian diplomats in the United States further actions in connection with the accusation of allegedly Aeroflot employees of smuggling electronics from the United States, the airline’s spokeswoman Yulia Spivakova told reporters. She noted that the published list of citizens who were charged contains neither former nor current employees of Aeroflot.

"The company's representative office interacts with the Russian Embassy in the United States and the Consulate General in New York to clarify the essence of possible claims against Aeroflot and agree on further actions," she said, adding that the company is consistently doing everything possible to prevent cross-border violations and economic crimes.

Earlier, the prosecutor's office for the Eastern District of New York reported that seven defendants - Akmal Asadov, Sayyuz Daibagia, Anton Perevoznikov, Shokhrukh Saidov, Marat Shadkhin, Kirill Sokhonchuk and Zokir Iskanderov were arrested on Monday in New York and Azamat Bobomurodov was detained in Illinois. Two more defendants, whose names are not disclosed, are on the wanted list. They are accused of smuggling electronic devices, primarily Apple products (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch), from the United States to Russia using couriers, many of whom were allegedly current or former Aeroflot employees. The arrested are charged with "transportation of stolen property, failure to provide export information, illegal export of electronic devices and conspiracy." The total damage is estimated at $50 million. Russia’s Consulate General in New York announced that they are verifying information about the involvement of Aeroflot employees in the smuggling case.

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