A Moscow court has ordered the head of one of Russia’s largest importers of foreign-made microchips to be held in pre-trial detention on charges of evading nearly 150 million rubles ($1.82 million) in taxes, the Kommersant newspaper reported Wednesday.
The Chertanovsky District Court granted investigators’ request on Monday to detain Igor Vinyukov, founder and CEO of Tsifron, which operates under the Cyfron Semiconductor brand.
The Repost news outlet reported that Tsifron imports foreign-made microchips, field-programmable gate arrays, microelectromechanical systems and other components into Russia despite international sanctions.
The Federal Tax Service’s branch in the republic of Udmurtia found that Tsifron owed 148.5 million rubles ($1.80 million), Kommersant reported.
At the tax authority’s request, the Moscow Arbitration Court barred Vinyukov from entering into transactions and froze 121.9 million rubles ($1.47 million) belonging to him.
