Police and the Investigative Committee revealed details of the investigation into the robbery of a jewelry store on Aug. 21. The suspect was arrested a day later.
According to Aliaksandr Kopishau, head of the Interior Ministry’s Main Criminal Investigation Department, the suspect, wearing a medical mask and threatening store employees with an object resembling a pistol, stole jewelry from the Samotsvet store and fled. He spent less than a minute inside the store. The saleswoman managed to press the panic button.
Investigators were able to identify the house where the attacker had hidden. After searching the entrances, they found a mask, gloves, a bag and jewelry boxes. The man had changed clothes in the attic. The attacker’s identity was established through genetic testing of the items found. He turned out to be a 34-year-old Belarusian citizen. It was learned that he was already traveling by bus from Minsk to St. Petersburg. The man was arrested with the support of the Almaz unit.
It was established that the suspect had lived in Russia in recent years. However, he returned to Belarus in May this year and was unemployed. He had been preparing for the robbery. The man visited the store several times, surveyed the area around it and planned escape routes to avoid surveillance cameras.
The suspect gave a full and detailed statement.