ST. PETERSBURG, April 6 (RAPSI) – The Oktyabrsky District Court of St. Petersburg has detained an Uzbekistan native Atabek Rustamov, one of the eight individuals suspected of abetting terrorism, RAPSI reported from the courtroom on Thursday.

The investigator told the court that a criminal case had been launched against Rustamov, as well as against his seven compatriots, on suspicion of providing assistance to terrorism. Rustamov was detained until June 4.

Eight natives of several Central Asian republics were arrested after searches conducted by the police, Russian National Guard and Federal Security Service (FSB) on April 5 and April 6.

According to investigators, from November 2015 till present, suspects were recruiting new members of Jabhat al-Nusra and Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist organizations banned in Russia and other illegal militant groups for committing crimes of a terrorist nature. Recruits were predominantly natives of Central Asian republics.

Searches were conducted at the suspects’ places of residence; law enforcement officers seized extremist literature, documents and other items significant to the case.

Russia’s Investigative Committee will verify thoroughly all contacts of the suspects. Currently, investigators do not have information on their acquaintance with alleged St. Petersburg metro bombing suspect, investigators said earlier.

On April 3, at around 2:40 PM Moscow time, an unknown device exploded in a train between St. Petersburg metro stations Technological Institute and Sennaya Ploshchad. According to the most recent information, 14 people died in the blast, over 50 were wounded. Investigators claim that the suicide bomber is the Kyrgyz Republic’s native Akbarzhon Dzhalilov, born in 1995.