A 47-year-old Israeli national of Russian origin, Alexei Kartzgor, was arrested in Cyprus on Saturday under an international arrest warrant issued by Russia via Interpol, police confirmed to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), following a report by the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth.
Kartzgor was apprehended at Larnaca Port and is expected to appear before the Larnaca District Court on Monday as authorities begin proceedings for his possible extradition to Russia.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the arrest warrant relates to an old case of piracy involving the hijacking of a cargo vessel in the Baltic Sea. Kartzgor allegedly arrived in Cyprus by ship, unaware that an Interpol Red Notice was still in effect against him.
The warrant reportedly concerns his alleged involvement in the planning and execution of the hijacking of the vessel Arctic Sea. The newspaper notes that Kartzgor had been previously arrested in connection with the same case in 2009, released on bail, and subsequently fled.
