Ilya Traber, a crime boss linked to Putin, has been arrested in Russia
This has been reported by the Russian media.
The Basmanny Court in Moscow has remanded Ilya Traber in custody for two months.
He was brought before the court on 17 June 2026 following investigative proceedings in St Petersburg.
According to Russian media reports, searches were carried out at Traber’s premises as part of the investigation into the murder of businessman Alexander Petrov.
What is Traber accused of?
Russian media, citing law enforcement sources, reported that the charges relate to the contract killing of Alexander Petrov.
Petrov, who was known as the “master of Vyborg”, was shot dead in 2020 near a bathhouse in the village of Velikoye, near Vyborg.
For several years, the investigation had been unable to identify any suspects or locate the weapon used in the shooting.
Who else is involved in the case
As part of the same case, the court has remanded Alisultan Nadirbegov in custody.
According to media reports, he is believed to be an accomplice of Traber.
Both have been charged with murder and the unlawful acquisition, transfer, sale or possession of firearms.
What punishment could they face?
Under the relevant articles of the Russian Criminal Code, the maximum penalty is life imprisonment.
Russian legislation also provides for the death penalty, although a moratorium on its use has been in place in the Russian Federation since the 1990s.
Who is Ilya Traber?
Ilya Traber is a Russian businessman whom the media describe as one of the prominent figures in St Petersburg’s underworld of the 1990s.
He is known by the nickname ‘Antikvar’.
In journalistic reports, Traber has repeatedly been linked to Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, dating back to the time when the future Russian president was working in St Petersburg.
What has been written about his links to Putin
Russian opposition politician Andrei Pivovarov has previously recounted stories that Putin allegedly waited for hours in the back room of Traber’s shop on Nevsky Prospekt for Traber to find time to see him.
These claims form part of a journalistic account of Traber’s links with St Petersburg’s political and criminal circles in the 1990s.
The investigation into the case is ongoing.
Traber and another suspect have been remanded in custody pending the investigation. Only a court can make a final ruling on their guilt.
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