French law enforcement officers detained Russian businessman and senator Suleiman Kerimov on suspicion of money laundering, which were obtained through tax fraud in the French land, writes Bloomberg.

Reuters reported, citing a source, that the investigation "concentrated" on "buying elite residences on the Cote d'Azur through fictitious companies." They, according to investigators, allowed Kerimov to reduce the amount of taxes that he would have to pay to the treasury of France. Kerimov was detained because of suspicion of tax evasion for property that he "owns on the French Riviera," said a familiar with the source of the Financial Times.

The law firm Quinn Emmanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, representing the interests of Russian businessman and senator Suleiman Kerimov, confirmed Bloomberg's detention, but declined to comment on the phone, citing confidentiality. In the law firm noted that Kerimov "a very respected person", and also expressed confidence that "he will win" in this matter.

A Senator from Dagestan and entrepreneur Suleiman Kerimov was detained on the eve of November 20 at the airport of Nice, but this was only known the next day. The French prosecutor's office said that Kerimov was suspected of evading taxes. As RBC told the Russian Embassy in France, Kerimov was detained late on November 20 after arriving from Moscow. The employee of the diplomatic office in Marseilles, according to the press attache Anna Shlychkova, has made a meeting with Kerimov.

In the Russian Foreign Ministry, commenting on the detention of the senator, recalled that Kerimov has a diplomatic passport that provides him immunity "from coercive actions in the territory of other states."

According to Forbes, Kerimov is included in the list of 200 richest businessmen in Russia, his journal is estimated at $ 6.3 billion (21st in the ranking). The businessman's family owns the gold mining company Polyus, as well as controls the Makhachkala airport.

In March 2017, the local French edition of Nice Matin wrote that villas in Hier in the south of France were searched. Among other things, the police found a bill from the draper for € 580 thousand. The publication claimed that this bill could be proof that the villa itself "belongs to Suleiman Kerimov." Assistant Senator Alexei Krasovsky responded by saying that Kerimov does not own real estate for abroad.