“He was cheerful, sane”
The body of 37-year-old Zalim Kerefov was discovered alone in a pretrial detention facility in Noginsk, near Moscow, on July 16. This finding was reported through the Telegram channel of the Moscow Region Investigative Committee. Investigators, accompanied by a forensic expert, inspected the scene and interviewed staff at the pretrial detention center.
A criminal case has been opened over the alleged negligence of the detention center officials, which purportedly led to the death of a detainee in Noginsk. The investigation includes examinations of job descriptions and security documents, plus referrals to forensic medicine, molecular genetics, and handwriting analysis. A sequence of inquiries is underway to identify the official responsible for the alleged negligence, according to officials involved in the case.
The defendant’s lawyer, Alexei Tsyganov, has cast doubt on the theory that the Vice-Chancellor of the Russian Customs Academy took his own life. He stated, with regard to his client, that the individual was cheerful and in good mental shape, with young children, making suicide appear unlikely. Tsyganov expressed confidence that the incident would be thoroughly investigated.
Izvestia later clarified that Kerefov’s body was found in SIZO No. 1. Preliminary information suggested a self-inflicted death, and a note was found indicating repentance for a crime that had led to pretrial detention. The Federal Penitentiary Service of the Moscow Region issued a statement to RIA Novosti noting no signs of violent death on the detainee’s body.
An ambulance crew and an investigative team were dispatched to the facility that reported the death. The ministry’s statement added that, based on initial data, there were no indicators of a violent death.
Sergei Leonov, head of the Moscow region’s PMC, told reporters that human rights activists plan to visit the pretrial detention center involved in the case to observe and gather information about the circumstances surrounding Kerefov’s death.
Drugs on the dark web
Kerefov had been detained at his workplace on July 5. Two days later, a court in Lyubertsy, Moscow Region, ordered his detention for two months. The Investigative Committee stated that investigators identified accomplices connected to the vice-rector of the Russian Customs Academy in relation to the case.
According to the authorities, the accused allegedly bought two kilograms of a narcotic substance, repackaged it into smaller portions, and sold it through a network of couriers and online shops on the dark web. Authorities reported multiple digital bookmarks containing drug-related links found on the defendants’ computer within the department’s premises near Moscow.
Law enforcement also claimed to have traced the locations where the prohibited substances were produced and subsequently purchased by the accused.
The investigation identified and halted the activities of a large drug operation during the operation. Authorities report the seizure of more than 750 liters of drug-containing liquid and precursor materials, 62 kilograms of mephedrone, and high-value equipment. The authorities indicated that formal charges would follow and that detention would be pursued as a preventive measure.
On July 7, Tsyganov, the Vice-Chancellor’s attorney, told TASS that Kerefov admitted involvement in selling two kilograms of drugs via the dark web and provided a confession to investigators. He stated that his client accepted the charges of large-scale narcotics distribution and supplied information to the authorities. The agency added that the Investigative Committee is reviewing other leaders at the Russian Customs Academy in relation to the case, including Kerefov’s role as the organizer of the drug laboratory and his associates. Olga Vradiy, a representative from the Main Investigation Department of the Moscow Region Investigative Committee, confirmed to TASS that Kerefov and two accomplices had been detained in connection with the operation.