Russian ex-military Sergei Kotelnikov arrested in Salvador

Sergei Kotelnikov, a 29-year-old former Russian military officer, has been arrested in the Águas Claras neighborhood of Salvador, Brazil. Kotelnikov is wanted internationally and is currently serving a life sentence in Russia for involvement in a drug trafficking scheme involving 600 kg of cocaine.

Authorities from the Integrated Force to Combat Organized Crime (FICCO), supported by the Military Police and Interpol, apprehended Kotelnikov during Operation Artemis. He had been living in a rented house in Salvador for less than a month after traveling through São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Due to limited English proficiency, he reportedly used a translation app to communicate.

In Brazil, Kotelnikov is suspected of attempting to establish a distribution network for weapons, ammunition, and drugs for criminal factions. The Secretary of Public Security for Bahia, Marcelo Werner, stated that intelligence operations were intensified following an Interpol alert. Kotelnikov is currently held at the Federal Police headquarters in Salvador awaiting extradition to Russia.