In 1908, he was arrested under the name Meer Wallach by French police while carrying twelve 500-ruble banknotes that had been stolen from a bank in Tiflis during the 1907 Tiflis bank robbery that took place on 26 June 1907.
I 1908 blev han med dæknavnet Meer Wallach arresteret af det franske politi, fordi han blev antruffet med 12 styk af de 500-rubel sedler, der var blevet stjålet ved bolsjevikkernes bankrøveri i Tiflis, 26. juni 1907.