MOSCOW, January 17 (RAPSI) – Russian citizen Artur Kuznetsov (Garibyan) who was earlier arrested in Cyprus on the request of Russian authorities escaped from police while being transferred to a court in Nikosia, RIA Novosti reports on Tuesday.

In Russia Kuznetsov was sentenced to two years in prison for drug-related crimes.

Kuznetsov was arrested in the Larnaca International Airport on Monday. He was being transferred to a court in a police wagon but he managed to escape when his handcuffs were taken off by police officers. He reached his co-conspirator waiting for Kuznetsov on motorcycle and drove away.

Cypriot police began internal investigation regarding potential leak of information on where and when Kuznestov was being transferred to. Local media received photos of the fugitive.