Ricardo Rotmann, a Polish-born national wanted in the United States on drug trafficking charges, has been arrested at his home in London on Wednesday. Officers of Britain’s Metropolitan Police Extradition and International Assistance Unit apprehended Rotmann at the request of the U.S. Embassy. He appeared before the City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court and has been remanded to police custody, awaiting an extradition hearing scheduled for October 11th. Rotmann stands charged of conspiracy to unlawfully export cocaine from the United States to foreign countries between 2004 and the present.
Rotmann, who is also known under the name Ricardo Fanchini, is alleged to be a prominent figure in the exiled Russian mafia. Identified by German author Juergen Roth in his book on Russian organized crime, Rotmann is said to be one of the three most powerful bosses of the exiled Russian crime syndicate in Europe and the U.S. A prosperous businessman and sports tycoon, Rotmann has been associated with Formula One motor racing and was involved in sponsoring the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix.
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