The expert opinion by the former secret service officers, interrogated by the Novaya, is that arrests of the Chief of Division of Operational Cover for Traffic Control Federal Service Alexander Bulbov and Deputy Chief of Division of Inner Security Yuri Geval, and also two other officers, are directed against the Chief of the Drug Traffic Control Department Viktor Cherkesov. Allegedly, it is related to increased activities by Cherkesov lately and to his possible plans to strengthen his influence and take the post of the Head of the Russia’s Security Council, also to carry out expansion of his people into the system of the interior ministry.  

An old acquaintance of the Russian President, Viktor Cherkesov was the Director of local FSB in St Petersburg and the region in 1992-1998. When in summer 1998 Putin became the Director of the whole FSB, Cherkesov was appointed his deputy. Though, afterwards, he was getting minor roles comparing to other Putin’s friends. In 2000 he became the President’s Authorized Representative in the North-West Okrug and in 2003 he was appointed the Chief of the Drug Traffic Control Department. Control over the drug traffic doesn’t seem to be a sufficient resource for executing serious influence. This sphere is too narrow. This is why Viktor Cherkesov is said to be the supporter of the strengthening of the Security Council and one of the initiators for creation of the united Investigative Committee which would deprive the interior ministry of its investigative machinery and would leave only counter-intelligence and anti-terrorist functions for FSB.          

Ambitious plans are supplemented with staff distribution. Summer this year an expansion of Cherkesov’s people was started into the system of interior ministry. 11 May a former executive employee from the Drugs Traffic Control Department Sergei Derevyanko was appointed Deputy Chief of the Division of the Inner Security (DIS) for the interior ministry, with a promotion to the rank of major general of militia. 30 June the former Chief of Drug Control in Ivanovskaya region Yuri Shalakov became the Senior Deputy Director of Economic Security Department (ESD) at the interior ministry. 

The position in DIS is capable of making it easier further expansion. As for ESD, this is the key department struggled for by the “Kremlin antagonists” Igor Sechin and Dmitry Medvedev. Our sources say that the arrested Yuri Geval was to be appointed to the ESD following Shalakov.

Possible charges against the arrested do not matter much in this case, as any faults and reasons can be found, if desired. The main message for Cherkesov is he has been trying to intrude the territory controlled by more influenced friends of the President.

P.S. Drug Traffic Control Department refused to make any comment on the arrests done.