MOSCOW, November 11 (Itar-Tass) - The Cambodian police have launched an operation to detain Russian business tycoon Sergei Polonsky. Several dozens of local policemen are participating in the operation, Polonsky’s lawyer Aleksander Karabanov told Itar-Tass on Monday.

Unofficial reports say Polonsky is detained

Polonsky's lawyer Alexander Karabanov received unofficial information about the detention of his client in Cambodia. According to the attroney, a journalist being in Cambodia called him and said that Polonsky was detained. "However, this is unofficial information, and I would have waited for the official statements of the authorities of Cambodia before drawing any conclusions," Karabanov said.

"Particularly dangerous criminal"

“In the files of the Cambodian police he is described as “a particularly dangerous criminal.” The Cambodian police have intensified its activity, because on Sunday Polonsky had posted a video in the Internet, where one of local police chiefs is extorting one million dollars from my client in order not to extradite him to Russia,” Karabanov stated. In his words, there is no Polonsky on the island, he sailed to the mainland of the country. “Cambodia is not a quite big country and probably he will sooner be detained. Then Polonsky will probably be extradited to Russia,” the lawyer said.

“Polonsky has earlier stayed in Cambodia on recognizance not to leave the city, there is no agreement on extradition of criminals between Russia and Cambodia. In such cases the issue to hand over the accused to the authorities of a foreign country is only within powers of the country, where he is staying. In this case this is the authorities of Cambodia. In this regard, local policemen decided to demand a bribe from my client,” Karabanov claims.

Polonsky accused of fraud

On June 14, the investigation department of the Russian Interior Ministry accused Sergei Polonsky in absentia of fraud in the construction of the Kutuzovskaya Milya residential area. More than 80 people were found as injured parties from his actions. The detectives believe that a company subordinate to Polonsky had acquired about 5.7 billion rubles (about $175 million) from the depositors, but then it had frozen the construction, not fulfilling the liabilities on the contracts. After that the company’s directorate initiated deliberate bankruptcy and shutdown of the company.

The Moscow city court has earlier found the absentee arrest of Polonsky lawful. The panel of appeals in the court turned down an appeal from the lawyers of the businessman and found the arguments of the prosecutor’s office well-founded that Polonsky should be put on international wanted list and should be brought in Russia for participation in investigative action.