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On This Day in 2005, an Alt-Rock Frontman Was Detained in Russia After Being Accused of Being a Spy

Franz Ferdinand singer Alex Kapranos was once detained in Russia after his name matched that of a spy who once stole state secrets.

By Stephen Andrew Galiher

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Hey, remember when Franz Ferdinand singer Alex Kapranos was detained by Russian police after being suspected of being a spy? No? Well, let me tell you about it because it literally happened 21 years ago today.

So, the story goes that, on June 2, 2005, Kapranos was trying to board a plane in Moscow. He was traveling under his legal name, which is Alexander Paul Kapranos Huntley. As he was attempting to get on the plane, he was stopped. Kapranos was then detained on suspicion of being an MI6 agent, per The Sunday Times.

Apparently, his name matched that of a man who’d previously been caught stealing information on........

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