Cargo plane pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, was arrested in Liberia with seven others in 2010 during a joint sting operation conducted by American special agents and Liberian authorities dubbed "Operation Relentless." The seven were taken into custody when officials uncovered 4,000 kilos (8,800 pounds) of cocaine, an estimated value of $100 million.
The Russian Foreign Ministry will seek Yaroschenko’s repatriation, an official announced on Thursday. Alexander Otchainov, Russia’s vice-consul in New York, said that Russian authorities were not expecting “such a harsh sentence.” He also told The Voice of Russia that his government saw a number of irregularities in the proceedings against Yaroshenko:
“Konstantin Yaroshenko was detained in Liberia in May 2010 and extradited to the US without notifying the Russian authorities, which is a breach of the international law. He was de facto abducted. Given the situation, Yaroshenko’s case requires more scrutiny. Russian diplomats will continue to see to it that all his rights guaranteed by the law are observed,” He told the newspaper.
Throughout his trial, the pilot maintained his innocence. His lawyer Steven Zissou told reporters that they plan to appeal the verdict because the punishment does not fit the crime. “The law stipulates punishment for wrong-doing but not more than necessary given the circumstances,” he said after the trial.
The court acquitted two other suspects, Nathaniel French and Kudufiya Mavuko.
