Police chief of Azerbaijani origin detained in Russia

Police and officers of the Federal Security Service (FSB) of the Russian Federation detained the police chief of the Nizhny Novgorod airport for "aiding illegal migration."

This is reported by RBC with reference to the transport police of the Volga Federal District.

The investigation established that a resident of the Nizhny Novgorod region repeatedly "took actions to avoid bringing to administrative responsibility foreign citizens" who violated the country's migration legislation. The man involved police officers at the Nizhny Novgorod airport and other accomplices in the illegal activities.

"If guilt is confirmed, the employees will be dismissed from the internal affairs bodies on negative grounds, and all detained citizens will be punished in accordance with the procedure established by law," the transport police statement says.

"Nizhny. Now" writes that security forces detained Lieutenant Colonel Namig Musaev at the airport on suspicion of organizing an illegal migration scheme. A source from the news agency in the security forces reported that Musaev established a channel through which migrants entered Russia for bribes.

According to preliminary information, about 12 police officers were involved in the criminal scheme. Musaev was also closely connected with the Azerbaijani diaspora in the Nizhny Novgorod region, the article claims.

In June, the Transport Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation reported the detention of a group of Nizhny Novgorod residents and local police officers due to illegal migration. The investigation established that from 2024 to 2025, an organized group operated at the Nizhny Novgorod airport, which identified violators of migration legislation among passengers and then, for a bribe, allowed them to leave Russia without being held administratively liable.

The Investigative Committee then reported that the detainees were charged with crimes under Article 322.1 of the Criminal Code (organization of illegal migration) and Article 286 of the Criminal Code (abuse of official powers).