Vladimir Putin's leading physician has reportedly been apprehended trying to escape the country.
Viktor Trukhin, 59, believed to be privy to the Russian leader's medical secrets, went missing 6 days ago after getting canned from his prestigious post at a top state facility over "fraud" allegations.
The lawyer-turned-doctor was rumored to have full knowledge of Russia's latest medical research on vaccines, serums and "bacterial preparations". Trukhin was nabbed by Putin's FSB counterintelligence service attempting to flee abroad through Belarus, reported Telegram channel Cheka-OGPU.
He had led the St. Petersburg Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums for 11 years before vanishing and being axed simultaneously by the Federal Medical Biological Agency (FMBA). Trukhin's institute falls under the FMBA, a Russian body ensuring the country's radiation, chemical and biological safety and spearheading health protection.
The FMBA said Russian law enforcement got a file alleging Trukhin's fraud involvement after a probe into corruption claims, per reports. The channel stated: "He tried leaving Russia for Belarus and was detained by FSB officers, who apparently knew the director...planned traveling abroad.".
A criminal case opened against Trukhin when "it became clear he intended to leave Russia and could reveal much about Russian vaccines and serums," they added. Reports say Trukhin had a Nicaraguan passport on him.
The sudden case against him centers on an alleged £4.75 million payment to a South American biotech facility, said the channel. Fontanka news claimed he's held in pre-trial detention on a lesser £5,000 embezzlement charge.
His institute leads research on drugs fighting coronavirus, hepatitis, and STDs, and plays a big role in exporting Russian vaccines, but has other mysterious contracts. The top client was a firm owned by Putin crony Sergei Chemezov, an ex-KGB colleague and billionaire head of state defense conglomerate ROSTEC.
Trukhin's daughter saw him in Moscow September 3 but not after, say reports. He wrote a farewell letter to his "unique" institute staff, announcing his departure and saying: "This decision was not mine, unfortunately." His WhatsApp and Telegram briefly opened September 5, but with no contact, said reports.
