The Ministry of Internal Affairs has commented on the detention of businessman and blogger Areg Shchepikhin at the Yaroslavsky railway station in Moscow. The incident, which involved several men in suits, occurred on June 3.

Six individuals were detained and taken to the local Ministry of Internal Affairs station for investigation. Authorities will transfer all findings to investigative bodies following the check.

Videos circulating online captured the scene of the incident. The footage shows several men forcibly grabbing Shchepikhin at a fast-food outlet, carrying him out of the train station, and ultimately pushing him into the trunk of a black Mercedes GLS 500.

Shchepikhin’s mother identified him in the video. Prior to the incident, Shchepikhin had posted several offensive videos on his social media accounts. His mother reported that she had spoken to him shortly before the incident and noticed nothing unusual.

On June 4, law enforcement conducted investigative measures at the Yaroslavsky railway station. A black Mercedes GLS 500, stopped the previous night on the Kievskoe highway, was brought to the station for investigation. Fingerprints were taken from the car, and several bags were removed from the cabin.

Minister of the Chechen Republic, Akhmed Dudaev, stated that the incident was a detention carried out by law enforcement officers, not an abduction.