Russian state flags fly near a factory located in Vsevolozhsk, Russia March 27, 2019. REUTERS Anton Vaganov File Photo Anton Vaganov File Photo.
MOSCOW, Sept 28 Reuters : A Russian hacker sentenced in June 2020 to nine years in a US jail for cyber crimes was detained on Tuesday at a Moscow airport after being deported by the United States, the TASS news agency quoted Putin's Interior Ministry as saying.
Alexei Burkov was jailed by the U.S. government for operating two websites focused on the facilitation of payment card fraud, computer hacking, and other crimes, the Department of Justice said when he was sentenced
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow did not immediately comment on the report that Burkov had been deported. Such reprieves are rare as Russia and the United States do not have a separate extradition treaty.
Burkov was extradited in December 2015 in Israel and arrested in November 2019 in Israel. In January 2020 he pleaded guilty to various charges including fraud, identity theft, computer intrusions and money laundering.
Burkov's family had been hoping Israel would free him as part of a potential prisoner swap involving a US-Israeli woman jailed for drug offences in Russia in October 2019.
Investigating Burkov at Moscow's interior ministry Airport, TASS described interior minister spokesperson Irina Volk as saying.
Burkov had been charged in absentia by Interpol, who sought his arrest through Russia, she said.
Burkov's schemes included stealing and selling credit card data, much of which belonged to U.S. citizens, and running a separate cybercrime forum where members could advertise stolen goods and offer criminal services including money laundering and hacking, the Department of Justice said.