Sources: One Accused Of Illegally Selling Tickets To Bombers

Russian law officers have arrested two people they believe were involved in the bombing of two Tupelov jetliners last month. The Russian Itar-Tass news agency identified one of the men as Krasnodar resident Armen Arutyunov, who is thought to be an airline ticket reseller.

Itar-Tass quotes investigators who say Arutyunov met two Chechen women and sold them tickets on the flights to Sochi and Volgograd.

"Also, Arutyunov, apparently for a fee, helped both of them pass customs control," a police officer told the news agency.

Itar-Tass reports Arutyunov was able to identify both women, thought to have detonated explosives on the flight, through identikit pictures.

"At the same time, he claimed he did not know about the terrorist attacks in which 90 people were killed on August 24," the officer said.

The downings of the commercial passenger aircraft -- a Tu-154 and a Tu-134 -- kicked off a bloody terror campaign blamed on Chechen rebels, who are fighting for their independence from Russia. In all, 450 people have been killed in the twin crashes, a Moscow bombing and the siege of a school in southern Russia.

FMI: www.fas.org/irp/world/russia/fsb