Authorities in Moldova have said a Tajik citizen who was detained after allegedly shooting to death two security officers on June 30 at Chisinau International Airport died in custody.

The head of Moldova’s police, Viorel Cernauteanu, said yesterday that the citizen who shot two security officers at Chisinau International Airport last week has died.

"The man accused of double murder at Chisinau airport has died," the police reported on their Telegram channel.  During his arrest, the Tajik national, identified as Rustam Ashourov, 43, suffered gunshot wounds.

Head of Moldova’s police Viorel Cernauteanu

He was under medical surveillance and guarded by police in a serious condition, unconscious, with part of his lung surgically removed.

According to Cernauteanu, the perpetrator refused to negotiate with the special police force.

"The suspect in the double murder at Chisinau International Airport died 15 minutes ago," the police said in a statement released on July 3. The Moldova’s police refrained from giving further details.

In its report released on July 3, Russia’s news agency RIA Novosti cited the head of Moldova’s police, Viorel Cernauteanu, as saying at a briefing in Chisinau that it has been established that Rustam Ashourov, who shot to death two security officers at Chisinau airport, had served seven years in sub-divisions of Tajikistan’s Interior Ministry for combating terrorism and organized crime.     

“We are jointly investigating this case,” Cernauteanu added, according to RIA Novosti

Recall, Tajikistan’s authorities said on July1 that one of those suspected of being involved in the abduction of the first deputy head of Orienbank, Shuhrat Ismatulloyev, allegedly opened fire and killed two security personnel and wounded one another at Chisinau International Airport on June 30. 

At least four people have been detained in Tajikistan in connection with the June 23 abduction and disappearance of Shuhrat Ismatulloyev.  

The identities of the detainees have not been released, but sources close to the investigation said they were all former security officers who were allegedly working together with organized-crime figures.