Mars Sharafullin, a businessman who originally came from Sverdlovsk Region, was detained in Cannes recently. Sharafullin is suspected of large-scale tax evasion and was earlier placed on the international ‘wanted’ list. The news was announced by head of Sverdlovsk Region Department of Internal Affairs Administration’s press service Valery Gorelykh.

The fact that Mars Sharafullin and his financial director Natalya Krasnoperova were on the ‘wanted’ list became publicly known in October 2010. However, the first financial claims against the businessman were placed as early as 2009 after some documents had been withdrawn from the offices of his enterprises Seversky granite mine and ZAO Stroitelniye Technologii.

The officials claim Sharafullin failed to pay about 26 million RUR worth of taxes. After legal action was taken against them, with charges based on Article 199 (part 2) of Russia’s Criminal Code (large-scale tax evasion), Mars Sharafullin and Natalya Krasnoperova fled the country.