Russian police captain held over plane bombs

A police captain who worked at Moscow's Domodedovo airport has been arrested in connection with last month's bombings of two …

A police captain who worked at Moscow's Domodedovo airport has been arrested in connection with last month's bombings of two Russian airliners.

The two planes blew up almost simultaneously on the night of August 24th, killing 90 people and marking the start of a series of horrific terrorist attacks blamed on Chechen rebels.

A total of 430 people have died in the attacks.

The Interfax news agency said that Captain Mikhail Artamonov had been arrested and could be held for up to 30 days while authorities decide whether to press charges. The report did not elaborate on the allegations against Mr Artamonov, the third suspect in the case.

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Earlier, Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov said a senior police officer at the airport had released the two women suspected of carrying bombs onto the planes without even inspecting their belongings.

Two police patrolmen had turned the women over to him, presumably because of they were Chechens, which often results in extra police checks.

After being let go, the women paid bribes to an airline employee to get on the planes, Mr Ustinov said.

AP