Chechen Militant Leader Zakayev Arrested En Route to Russia

Hassan Zakayev, native of Chechnya, suspected of organizing the 2002 terrorist act in Dubrovka, is now in custody in Moscow. Zakayev was arrested while trying to enter Crimea from Ukraine, where he lived with fake documents.

MOSCOW, December 18 (Sputnik) – Hassan Zakayev, suspected for organizing the 2002 terrorist attack in Dubrovka, was detained in Crimea on Thursday, carrying a fake passport, according to spokesman for Russia’s Investigative Committee (RIC) Vladimir Markin, Russian Kommersant newspaper reports.

Zakayev has been on the international wanted list for 12 years; however, the 41-year old Chechen lived in Ukraine with fake documents. The suspect was arrested when he tried to leave Ukraine and enter Crimea. According to Kommersant, Zakayev has been sent to Moscow for further investigation.

During the early 2000s, Zakayev was accused of transporting weapons and homemade explosive devices to Moscow that later were used by suicide bombers. These explosive were then used to set up bombs in Moscow.

Besides, Zakayev is accountable for two other terrorist acts. He organized a blast in one of Moscow’s McDonalds restaurants and was one of the organizers of the infamous Nord-Ost hostage crisis, RBK News reports.

On October 23, 2002, 40 Chechen militants took more than 900 hostages, who were watching the popular musical Nord-Ost in one of Moscow’s theaters in Dubrovka. Following three days of negotiations, Russian security forces stormed the building, killing the attackers. Some 130 hostages died in process.

Now with the arrest of Zakayev, Gerikhan Dudayev is the only person remaining, who is suspected of organizing the terrorist act in Dubrovka, Kommersant reports.