Russian billionaires living in Britain have begged Vladimir Putin to be allowed back into Russia without being arrested.
It is understood that more than ten oligarchs have contacted the Kremlin asking for safe repatriation back home after fleeing the country to escape court proceedings.
It comes amid a crackdown in Britain on businessmen suspected of corruption who cannot account for how they accumulated their vast wealth.
Russian business tsar Boris Titov said the list was ‘with the president’ and contained names of those ‘who managed to leave and not end up in a pre-trial detention centre’.
Russian billionaires living in Britain have begged Vladimir Putin to be allowed back into Russia without being arrested
‘As yet, the list is not final, as we continue receiving applications,’ he told the news agency Tass.
‘Some people live outside for 20 years without a chance to return, as the criminal proceedings continue.
‘There may be no claims against them, even Interpol may take them off the list, but the case in Moscow still continues.’
Last week it was announced that Russian oligarchs suspected of corruption will be forced to account for their luxury lifestyles in the UK in a new crackdown on crime.
Security minister Ben Wallace said the ‘full force of government’ would be brought to bear on foreign criminals and corrupt politicians who use Britain as a haven.
Officials will use new unexplained wealth orders – which came into effect this week – to seize suspicious assets and hold until they have been properly accounted for.
It was reported in Russia that Mr Titov met with about 40 businesspeople in London on Saturday, including Yevgeny Chichvarkin (left) and Georgy Trefilov (right)
In an interview with The Times, Mr Wallace said: ‘When we get to you, we will come for you, for your assets and we will make the environment that you live in difficult.’
The move comes as London’s role as a playground for Russian gangsters and the super rich has been highlighted by the BBC drama series McMafia.
It was reported in Russia that Mr Titov met with about 40 businesspeople in London on Saturday. It is not known if any of the attendees were named on the list.
Among those to attend were mobile tycoon Yevgeny Chichvarkin, who has lived in London since fleeing Russia while facing charges for kidnapping and extortion.
Georgy Trefilov, considered among the 100 richest Russians, is also in the English capital while facing charges of fraud.
Trefilov maintains that the charges, dropped in 2011, were politically motivated, with an attempt to extradite him back to Russia from the UK denied by a British court.
In 2013, he was arrested at Gatwick Airport after trying to cross the border with a fake passport and ID card. He received an 18-month suspended prison sentence.
Russian business tsar Boris Titov (centre) said the list was ‘with the president’ and contained names of those ‘who managed to leave and not end up in a pre-trial detention centre’