Chief of Russian-Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce arrested in Venezuela

The Moscow Times reported this with reference to Infobae, Ukrinform saw.

According to the report, the suspect was arrested on May 15 as his house in Caracas was raided.

Russian state-run media refer to the detainee as the head of the permanent mission of the Transbaikal Cossacks in Venezuela.

It is noted that Frolenko caught the attention of Venezuelan counterintelligence after he, together with the local paramilitary group La Piedrita, took part in the opening of a monument to the Unknown Soldier. The official reason for the detention is charges of fraud.

The publication's sources report that for several years Frolov was engaged in shadow business in the country and involved in fraud against entrepreneurs whom he promised assistance with making deals in Russia. At the same time, the publication's sources claim that his actions had long been monitored but no attempt was made to confront him until he started "posing as a diplomat". In particular, at meetings with representatives of business and political circles, he referred to himself as a member of Putin's team and insisted that all issues with the Kremlin should be resolved through himself. Frolov's behavior caused discontent on the part of the Russian Ambassador to Venezuela, Sergei Melik-Bagdasarov, who decided that the leader of the Russian "Cossacks" was usurping his representative functions.

There has been no official comment from the Russian side regarding the arrest at this time.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Russian FSB said it had detained two Colombian citizens on charges of participating in hostilities on the side of Ukraine as "mercenaries."