Story By: Ginger Mahotchina, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

A Russian cop suspected of raping at least 20 women and girls at knifepoint in a 15-year reign of terror has been arrested after cops decided to do a DNA test on 7,000 men.

The massive operation took three years in the city of Strezhevoy in Tomsk Oblast region of Russian and has led to the arrest of Valentin Bereznitsky, 60.

It was not revealed what the man’s role was exactly in the police force but officials said when the now 60-year-old was arrested he no longer worked for the force, and also for some of that time he was working with law enforcement officials but was not directly employed by them. The officials did not elaborate more.

A masked man with a knife has attacked and raped at least 20 women and teenagers since 2004 in the city and investigators then took saliva samples from 7,000 men in the city to help them catch the perpetrator.

A DNA profile for the serial rapist was discovered and the suspect’s sample was reportedly a match. Local media report he was also identified by one of the victims.

The Tomsk Investigative Committee are reportedly set to charge Bereznitsky with “rape” and “violent acts of a sexual nature”.

A press statement read: “The investigation petitions for the election of a measure of restraint in the form of detention in respect to the detainee. Currently, we are working to consolidate the evidence base: witnesses are being questioned, a number of forensic examinations are set to take place.”

The suspect’s wife, sister, and daughter said they did not believe he was guilty, adding that no one close to him believed in his guilt, and saying his friends would support him “anyway”.

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