Moscow police have arrested a convicted thief who once stole a Stradivari violin on suspicion of stealing £80,000 in cash and valuables from a city apartment.

Jakob Subbota, 43, a Chechen native, was convicted in 1998 of stealing a Stradivari violin and a Stainer violin from the Glinka Museum of Musical Culture on 25 May 1996.

According to a police statement, Subbota was also arrested in 2004 on suspicion of carrying out a series of robberies in St Petersburg. He used wigs and false beards to disguise his appearance, and got into apartments by pretending to be an intercom repairman. Once inside, he locked up the owners in the bathroom before making off with their valuables.

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