According to information received from Russia, a citizen of Mongolia, Ts. Ganbold, who lives in the Bayan-Uul sum of Dornod province, has been arrested. This information is provided by MiddleAsianNews.
Mongolian news sources report that Ganbold will be held in a detention center in Chita for a month on suspicion of espionage activities.
Ts. Ganbold, along with his wife, works at the Ulkhan checkpoint, which is located 50 kilometers from Bayan-Uul. In addition to herding, he has also worked as an electrician for over a year.
Every week, Ganbold crosses the Ulkhan checkpoint to purchase food and necessary items. On February 10, as he was heading across the border in anticipation of the celebration of Tsagaan Sar according to the lunar calendar, he was detained by Russian law enforcement authorities. Ts. Ganbold's family was informed that "an investigation into possible espionage is underway, and he will be detained for up to a month."
The governor of the Bayan-Uul sum, M. Battulga, commented: "Our citizen was arrested in Russia on charges of espionage and is currently being held in a detention center in Chita. This person has never held public office; he is just an electrician. He was detained shortly before the Tsagaan Sar holiday. His family tried to meet with the investigator, but they were told that the case concerns espionage, although no details were specified. They have contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for support."
