Warsaw - A 30-year-old Russian citizen was detained by Warsaw police on suspicion of taking part in an assassination attempt on Moscow's deputy mayor in 2002, the Polish Press Agency reported on Thursday.

Alikhan M - whose last name was withheld in accordance with Polish law - was detained Wednesday while taking a dog for a walk.

Police suspected him of using a fake alias and determined his real identity after contacting Russian officials.

Russian police had earlier determined the suspect might have fled the country for Belgium, France or Poland.

The attack in June 2002 killed the deputy mayor's driver and heavily wounded a security guard.

Deputy Mayor Iosif Ordzhonikidze was not harmed.

The suspect had been sought by the Russian Federation and had an international warrant for his arrest.

He is charged with attempted murder, illegal possession of weapons, forgery and acting in an organized criminal group, a Warsaw Police official told PAP.

Ordzhonikidze was the target of another assassination attempt in 2000, when he was seriously injured and his driver killed after two gunmen fired assault rifles as he was being driven to work in the city centre. (dpa)