MOSCOW, July 1 (RAPSI) – Sergei Azarskov, a top executive at the bankrupt travel company Labirint, has been arrested in Serbia on fraud charges, Investigative Committee spokesperson Vladimir Markov told journalists on Wednesday.

Markin said they expect Azarskov to be extradited to Russia.

Police are auditing travel companies Labirint, Labirint-T, Labirint Company and Ideal Tour, which are owned by Azarskov and Mikhail Shamanov, who have been charged with large-scale fraud in absentia.

According to the Investigative Committee, in December 2013 Shamanov and Azarskov shaped a plan for embezzling funds from clients. “The suspects presumably persuaded several executives at the Labirint group of companies to sell part of their shares to Azarskov, which helped the suspects to assume control of these companies. They transferred the clients’ air fare to the account of a company they controlled,” Markin said.

He added that investigators have questioned at least 18,000 people who have been recognized the injured parties in this case.

Labirint suspended operations in August 2014. It was reported at the time that nearly 30,000 of its clients would need assistance to return to Russia.

Since mid-summer 2014, over a dozen Russian travel companies have ceased operations, including Neva, Roza Vetrov Mir, Expo Tour, Labirint, Intaer, Solvex Turne, Yuzhny Krest and Versa.