OMON Raids Russian Railways, Arrests Two in Corruption Case
An anti-corruption operation at Russian Railways took place simultaneously in four cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, and Novosibirsk. Law enforcement officers conducted searches and detentions as part of uncovering a long-running scheme.
Based on the violations, a criminal case has been initiated under Part 6 of Article 290 of the Russian Criminal Code — receiving a bribe as part of an organized group on an especially large scale.
According to the investigation, from June 2020 to January 2026, heads of the car fleet preservation department of the car maintenance administration of the Central Directorate of Infrastructure created an organized criminal group to receive bribes from representatives of car repair enterprises across the country. Officials, for a fee, ensured unreasonably high indicators in the reliability rating for the enterprises, as well as concealed facts of poor-quality repair, manufacturing, and modernization of freight cars, making adjustments to official reporting data based on falsified documents provided by the enterprises,the Investigative Committee reported.
The total amount of bribes received, according to the investigation, amounted to 19 million rubles (approximately $253,000 at current rates). More than 50 people were involved in the criminal group«s activities. The money was transferred, among other things, to the accounts of relatives of the OPG members.
In Yekaterinburg, the court chose preventive measures for two alleged group members. The Leninsky District Court placed Alexander Averbulkh, head of the department for traffic safety organization and car admission, under house arrest until March 28. Alexey Kadushkin, head of the car fleet preservation department, was placed in a pre-trial detention center (SIZO).
Previously, high-ranking officials from Yekaterinburg have faced charges of bribery, fraud, and conducting illegal business.
