Thieves steal mayor's car ...and the mayor

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Three men who stole a jeep in the heart of Siberia got away with an unintended trophy -- the mayor of Russia's top oil town, Russian radio has reported.


In a country where contract killings are common and business feuds can spill over into gang warfare, officials usually travel with armed guards, so the thieves bundled the driver into the back seat with no idea of his lofty status.


When they realised they had kidnapped Stepan Kirichuk, the mayor of Siberian oil capital Tyumen, they left him by the side of the road, Ekho Moskvy radio said on Monday.