Greek authorities release Russian wanted in Peru on arms smuggling

ATHENS (Itar-Tass) - The Greek authorities have released
Russian citizen Vladimir Gavrilov, whose extradition was sought by the
Peruvian authorities on charges of arms smuggling, Russia's general consul
in Thessaloniki, Alexei Popov, told Itar-Tass.
"On Friday, Gavrilov was finally released and now he is at our
consular office," Popov said. "Tomorrow we shall see him off to Moscow.
His departure is due at 08.00 local time (09.00 Moscow time) and he is to
arrive at Domodedovo at about 12.15 Moscow time."
"On August 27 Gavrilov was detained by the police in Greece and taken
to police headquarters in Thessaloniki," recalled Popov. "On August 29,
the detainee was brought before a Greek prosecutor, who authorized his
detention for 30 days. On September 28 this period expired. In fact,
Gavrilov's case was not considered on the merits on the international
warrant, because no related documents have arrived from the Peruvian side.
On September 28 a meeting of the panel of judges closed the consideration
of the request."
However, according to the general consul, after that the Greek
authorities transferred the detainee to a filtration center for immigrants
in the area of Thessaloniki in order to check, if he had not violated
Greek laws.
"This is a formality," the diplomat said. "The center keeps immigrants
who were detained for identity checks and for a probe into whether they
had violated local laws. Gavrilov stayed at this center for two days and
after the check he was finally released."
Vladimir Gavrilov was arrested in Greece on an international warrant
of the Peruvian authorities, who charged him with participation in an
international criminal group that had supplied 10,000 Kalashnikov rifles
to the rebel group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in 1999.
The Peruvian authorities requested his extradition. The Russian's defense
denied his involvement in the incriminated arms supplies.