An award-winning police officer in central Russia’s Tula region has been arrested on suspicion of extorting a 200,000-ruble ($2,400) bribe, the news outlet Ostorozhno Novosti reported Monday.
The officer, identified as Yekaterina F., 30, is a deputy supervisor of local district police officers who has served for at least nine years. She reportedly won the regional stage of an Interior Ministry competition honoring district officers in both 2023 and 2024.
Investigators allege that she demanded the money from a local resident in exchange for blocking a criminal fraud case against his son involving a forged driver’s license.
The man reported the extortion attempt to law enforcement before handing over the money, Ostorozhno Novosti reported.
The officer faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted of taking a large bribe through extortion. A Tula judge ordered to place her in pre-trial detention for one month and 29 days.
Regional authorities praised her in 2024 as a model police officer and a trusted figure in her community.
“Service is not easy for a woman. But I really like my work because I love helping people,” she said at the time.
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