Viktor Cherkesov, an old associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the former chief of the Federal Drugs Control Service (FKSN), has died at the age of 72.
Lawmaker Aleksandr Khinshtein announced the passing of Cherkesov on Telegram on November 9. He did not mention the cause of death.
Cherkesov served as a KGB officer in Putin's native St. Petersburg during the Soviet era and later led the Federal Security Service (FSB) directorate in that city.
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In 1998, after Putin became FSB director, Cherkesov served as the agency's deputy director and worked in Putin's presidential election campaign group in 2000.
After Putin won the presidential election, he appointed Cherkesov as the presidential envoy in Russia's Northwestern Federal District. Cherkesov was then also a member of the Security Council.
In 2003, Cherkesov was appointed to the post of FKSN director.
In 2006, at Putin's order, the Cherkesov-led agency investigated a case of a massive furniture smuggling that became known as the "Three Whales" corruption scandal, which involved high-ranking FSB officers and was believed to be linked with money laundering through a bank in the United States.
The probe led to the resignations of the head of the Customs Service, Aleksandr Zherikhov, Prosecutor-General Vladimir Ustinov, and the firing and arrests of top officials at the FSB, Interior Ministry, Customs Service, presidential administration, and other structures.
Cherkesov made public some details of the investigation, revealing an apparent standoff between top FSB officers, which Putin publicly criticized, saying there was "no need to make such information public."
In 2008, Cherkesov was removed from the post of FKSN director and became the head of the Federal Agency for Military Supplies.
In 2010, Cherkesov was relieved from his duties and later became a lawmaker representing the Communist Party. He criticized the 2011-12 reforms of the Interior Ministry, but, in general, mostly supported Putin's government and its decisions.