MOSCOW, June 7 (RAPSI) – Bulgaria has withdrawn a request for extradition of Aslan Gagiyev, an alleged leader of Russia's organized-crime syndicate charged with organization of multiple murders, from Austria, Kommersant newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Therefore, the case on extradition of Gagiyev to Bulgaria has been closed, Christina Salzborn, a representative for the Regional Criminal Court of Vienna, told the newspaper.  Earlier, Gagiyev was charged by Bulgarian authorities with documents’ forgery in absentia.

Austria is yet to review Russian extradition request for the second time. In the summer of 2015 extradition request was granted by the Austrian court, but later it was appealed by Gagiyev.

Russian investigators claim that Georgian-born Aslan Gagiyev’s gang has been operating since 2004 and includes over 50 members.

According to Kommersant, members of the gang committed more than 60 counts of murder in Moscow and North Ossetia.

Eighteen members of the gang have already received long prison terms; two of them have been sentenced to life. Currently, 14 members are in detention, 8 members are on the international wanted list.

Gagiyev who was arrested in Austria in January 2015 faces life sentence in Russia. On March 3, the Austrian court released him on bail of EUR 100 because hearing of extradition cases against him ran over time.