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Police catch serial thief wanted for drugging and mugging spree in downtown Moscow

At least four of his victims were hospitalized with signs of poisoning, a source in the medical services said

© Sergei Fadeichev/TASS

MOSCOW, June 25. /TASS/. Police have detained a man, who is suspected in a string of poisonings followed by robberies in downtown Moscow, a source in the city’s law enforcement agencies told TASS, noting that the crimes were committed since this May at the latest.

"The detained 26-year-old native of the Kabardino-Balkaria Republic has been residing in Moscow since 2015. According to preliminary data, he had been operating in central Moscow, mostly in the Basmanny neighborhood, since this May at the latest," the source said.

The exact number of people, who ended up being victims of his crimes, is now being established. "All of them sipped a drink that he had given to them, and then they lost consciousness," the source said. The man supposedly slipped sleeping pills into their non-alcoholic beverages.

The perpetrator then proceeded to strip his unconscious prey of their valuables and money. During a search of his home, police uncovered some of these stolen items and the powdered substance used to drug his victims.

Four people, including a photographer from the magazine The Village, Lyudmila Chizhova, were hospitalized with signs of poisoning, a source in the medical services said.

According to law enforcement agencies, the man had been earlier suspected of two robberies and was banned from leaving the country. Later, another criminal case was opened into robbery. These criminal cases will be united into one proceeding. Furthermore, the suspect could be also behind other similar crimes and an investigation is underway.

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