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Suspect Accused of Training St. Petersburg Bomber Arrested Near Moscow

Abror Azimov, suspected of recruiting and training the St. Petersburg bomber, has been arrested by Russian special forces.

Federal Security Service / TASS

The man believed to have recruited and trained the St. Petersburg metro bomber has been arrested by Russian special forces.

Agents from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) detained Abror Azimov on Monday in the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region.

Security officers believe that Azimov was the last person in contact with Akbarzhon Dzhalilov before he detonated a bomb on the St. Petersburg metro system on April 3.

They also believe that Azimov could have acted as a mentor for the 22-year-old, helping him to organize the attack, Russia's Kommersant newspaper reported.

Both men are Kyrgyz-born Russian citizens from the city of Osh.

A spokesperson for the Russian Investigative Committee said that Azimov was a suspected accomplice to the crime, but that his exact role was still under investigation.

Agents tracked down Azimov after he bought and activated a new SIM card, giving away his position.

He was found with a loaded pistol close to Odintsovo railway station.

Two more alleged accomplices, Sadyk Ortikov and Shokhista Karimov, were also arrested.

The men are believed to have worked at a cafe on Minskskoe Shosse, Kommersant reported.

Azimov is due to appear at  Moscow's Basmanny District Court on Tuesday.

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