The St. Petersburg City Court sentenced 54-year-old Andrey Matushkin, founder of the International Association of Private Detectives, to 12 years in a maximum-security penal colony in a treason case. The report was published by Sotavision.
The proceedings were held behind closed doors, so members of the public and journalists were allowed to attend only the announcement of the operative part of the verdict. Matushkin’s wife, elderly mother, friends, and colleagues were also present in court.
RBC had earlier reported, citing sources, that investigators alleged Matushkin passed information classified as a state secret to recipients abroad. Law enforcement officers also suspected him of cooperating with foreign intelligence and helping it carry out its objectives in Russia. According to one of the outlet’s sources, the case may have involved contacts with representatives of the Baltic states.
Sotavision уточняет, что Матушкин признал вину. His detention and subsequent arrest became known in October 2025.
What the association did
The website of the International Association of Detectives, which Matushkin headed, said the organization was founded in 2009. It stated that its staff searched for stolen cars, fugitives, and missing people, checked spouses for infidelity, and conducted what it described as covert external surveillance of targets.
The organization’s website is now inactive. Private detective Mikhail Loktionov said the association included detectives from the United States and the United Kingdom. The website also said the group operated in 47 countries.