Putin's Friend In St. Petersburg Arrested In Connection With A Contract Killing Case

The decision was handed down by the Basmanny Court in Moscow.

Moscow’s Basmanny Court has ordered the two-month detention of Ilya Traber—one of St. Petersburg’s key criminal figures, a businessman, and longtime acquaintance of President Vladimir Putin, whom the Spanish prosecutor’s office has identified as one of the leaders of the Tambov organized crime group. This was reported by the press service of the capital’s courts of general jurisdiction, where the 75-year-old suspect was brought today from St. Petersburg after being detained by FSB operatives.

Traber is accused of a contract killing. According to investigators, in 2020, the perpetrators killed Vyborg businessman and municipal deputy Alexander Petrov, who was considered Traber’s right-hand man. According to the case file, the hitman shot Petrov with a sniper rifle near the victim’s cottage in the village of Velikoye in the Leningrad Region. Investigators believe the crime may have been linked to the victim’s business interests.

Petrov held stakes in dozens of companies in the construction, real estate, hotel, and port industries. He was also a co-owner of the Vyborg Shipyard and the Vyborg Fuel Company, notes *Kommersant*.

Putin has known Traber for more than 30 years—ever since the future Russian president worked at the St. Petersburg City Hall. According to *Novaya Gazeta*, while serving as deputy mayor, Putin provided significant support to Traber’s business. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin knew the arrested crime boss, but described their relationship as professional and their interactions as routine. Traber was also a guest of honor at Putin’s birthday celebrations in at least 2004 and 2016.

On Wednesday, the Basmanny Court remanded another suspect in this case—Alisultan Nadirbegov—into custody. Also on June 17, law enforcement officers in St. Petersburg conducted searches at the home of businessman Gennady Petrov, known as one of the leaders of the Tambov-Malyshev organized crime group and linked to Traber’s business.

You can support the website Charter97.org

MULTI-CURRENCY ACCOUNT FOR ASSISTANCE:

Bank's name: Bank Millennium S.A.
Address: ul. Stanislawa Zaryna, 2A, 02-593, Warszawa
IBAN: PL97116022020000000216711123
SWIFT: BIGBPLPW
Name of the account holder: Fundacja “KARTA ‘97”
Purpose/title of payment: Donation for statuary aims

You can contact us by the e-mail charter97@gmail.com