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Suspect in murder of World Powerlifting Champion surrenders to Russian police — source

Now the suspect is in the regional investigative department of the Russian Investigative Committee and investigators are working with him there

KHABAROVSK, September 19. /TASS/. Suspect in the killing of Andrei Drachev, the world and European champion in powerlifting, has turned himself in to the police in the Russian Far Eastern Khabarovsk Region, a source familiar with the investigation told TASS.

"Thanks to the efforts carried out by staff members of regional departments of the Federal Security Service and the Interior Ministry, the murder suspect was forced to surrender. Now he is in the regional investigative department of the Russian Investigative Committee and investigators are working with him there," the source said.

On September 14, upon the investigators’ request the court arrested in absentia Anar Aliyar ogly Allahveranov, who is suspected of killing the 32-year-old World Powerlifting Champion in Khabarovsk. The investigators earlier said they treated the actions of the man, who dealt a fatal blow to Drachev, as a murder committed on hooliganism motives.

According to the investigators, on August 20 a conflict broke out between Drachev and the suspect and they entered a fight in one of the streets in downtown Khabarovsk. The suspect, who is a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter, delivered several punches, which turned out to be lethal for Drachev. The man fled the scene and was placed on a federal wanted list.

In 2011, Drachev won the title of the World Powerlifting Champion in a team event and also a silver medal in men’s 120-kg competition. Lately, the athlete had devoted himself to bodybuilding.