Russian Investigators Open Criminal Probe Against Severodvinsk Hostage-Taker

The Russian Investigative Committee announced on Friday it was launching a criminal probe against the man who took hostage a female employee of a microfinance institution that offers small consumer loans

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th March, 2021) The Russian Investigative Committee announced on Friday it was launching a criminal probe against the man who took hostage a female employee of a microfinance institution that offers small consumer loans.

The hostage-taking incident happened in Russia's northern city of Severodvinsk on Thursday. The man gave himself in to security officers after a three-hour standoff. He was carrying a sawed-off hunting rifle and ammunition.

"A criminal case was initiated against the 54-year-old Severodvinsk resident with criminal backgrounds who is suspected of committing the crime described in Clause G of Part 2 of Article 206 of the Russian criminal code (Hostage-taking committed with the use of weapon)," the Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement.

According to the investigators, the suspect was in a state of alcoholic intoxication when he came to the office of the microfinance organization. He blocked the door and handcuffed a 21-year-old female staffer, calling on her to instruct her boss to come to the office.

The victim managed to press the alarm button. Officers of the Russian National Guard arrived at the site to detain the offender and then hand him over to the police.

"During interrogations, the suspect admitted his guilt and explained to the investigator that he had taken a 8,000 rubles [$108.72] loan in the microfinance institution. After a short time, the debt increased to 20,000 rubles. The debt was transferred to a debt collecting agency, which demanded already 100,000 rubles," the investigative committee continued.

According to the statement, the debt collectors also posted online some defamatory information about the suspect and his relatives. The 54-yar-old came to the microfinance organization to persuade its chief to contact the debt collectors and ask them to leave him alone.

Investigative actions continue and a legal assessment will be given to the debt collectors' behavior if the testimony is proven true, the committee added.