Questions continue to surround the case of the alleged leader of a Russian-speaking organised crime network known as "Edik," as no official confirmation has been received five days after reports emerged of his arrest in Dubai.
Greek law enforcement authorities have yet to receive formal notification regarding the reported arrest, while Cyprus Police are also awaiting clarification, initially on whether the information is accurate and, if so, whether he will be extradited to Greece.
Edik's name has been linked to serious criminal cases in Cyprus. More recently, a close relative of his was arrested and is currently standing trial before the Limassol Criminal Court in a separate case.
The international arrest warrant for Edik was issued at the request of Greece. For that reason, Greek authorities expect that, if the reports of his arrest are confirmed, he would eventually be handed over by the authorities in Dubai.
A source told Politis that Cyprus Police sought information from Greek authorities last week regarding developments in the case, but no response has yet been received.
As things stand, it has not been officially established whether the alleged crime boss is indeed in custody in Dubai pursuant to the international warrant issued against him.
Because of his alleged links to criminal investigations in Cyprus in recent years, Cyprus Police remain in contact with their Greek counterparts while awaiting further developments.
Reports of Edik's arrest in Dubai were first published by the Greek news website documentonews.gr.
According to the report, citing the Hellenic Police, Edik is accused of:
- Establishing and participating in a criminal organisation with an operational structure and continuous activity.
- Membership of a group of three or more individuals allegedly involved in multiple felony offences.
- Aggravated trafficking offences involving the purchase, sale and possession of goods imported or placed on the market illegally.
- Forgery offences.
- Money laundering and the handling of proceeds of crime under aggravating circumstances, allegedly as a professional activity and as part of organised criminal activity.
The same report said a legal battle is expected over any extradition decision in Dubai and whether he will ultimately be surrendered to the Greek authorities.
