Law enforcement officials have apprehended the mayor of Vladimir, a city in central Russia, as reported by various news outlets on Wednesday.
According to the pro-government publication Argumenty i Fakty, agents from the Federal Security Service (FSB) forcibly entered Mayor Dmitry Naumov’s office and waited for him to arrive at work.
An unidentified source within law enforcement later informed the state-controlled TASS news agency that Naumov, affiliated with the ruling United Russia party, is under investigation for significant fraud. However, the source did not elaborate on the specifics.
In addition, the local station Zebra TV indicated that Naumov’s arrest might be connected to a purported organized crime syndicate referred to as the “cemetery mafia.”
In May, Naumov had already dismissed two of his staff members due to “issues related to the city’s funeral services.” That same month, authorities arrested ten individuals on suspicion of unlawfully inflating funeral costs in the Vladimir region.
There has not been any official statement confirming Naumov’s arrest or any charges against him. These developments come less than three weeks ahead of the scheduled municipal council elections in Vladimir.
Naumov was appointed mayor by the Vladimir city council in November 2022.
