Gang members suspected of multiple murders in North Ossetia, Moscow arrested
MOSCOW. Aug 15 (Interfax) - A court in Vladikavkaz has ordered the arrest of all gang members detained in the Moscow region on Wednesday on suspicion of perpetrating over 25 murders, including the killing of the Vladikavkaz mayor, Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said.
"The Vladikavkaz Leninsky district court has upheld the detective's request and ordered the arrest of gang members Robert Bagayev, Ruslan Yurtov, Erik Tautiyev and Dmitry Kodoyev detained in the Moscow region. The court ordered the arrest of Inal Zasseyev in absentia earlier," Markin told Interfax on Friday.
In his words, most gang members were neutralized several years ago. "Five [gang] members have been given the punishment they deserved and a gang leader, Oleg Gagiyev, was handed a lifetime sentence. Two more gang members are standing trial. A criminal inquiry is on into another 13 suspects who are in custody," Markin said.
Last Wednesday he reported the detention of five gang members suspected of killing the Vladikavkaz mayor and a number of senior officials of the North Ossetian law enforcement authorities and the confiscation of almost 50 pieces of combat weapons, dozens of grenades, explosive devices, radio sets and more than 50 uniforms of the traffic police and other operative services.
The gang is responsible for over 25 murders and other grave crimes committed in Moscow and the Republic of North Ossetia - Alania, Markin continued.
According to the detectives, the gang had been formed by Georgian native Aslan Gagiyev, started its activities in 2007 and had over 30 members. Vladikavkaz Mayor Vitaly Karayev was murdered in November 2008, and chief of the North Ossetian Interior Ministry's department on organized crime Mark Metsayev was killed in Vladikavkaz in March 2008.
North Ossetian Deputy Prime Minister Kazbek Pagiyev and his driver Vladimir Gasiyev were murdered in December 2008.
In addition, the head of the republic's Interior Ministry criminal investigation department Vitaly Cheldiyev and his son Zaurbek were killed in Vladikavkaz in October 2008, and in October 2013 the criminal group killed the deputy prosecutor of the Vladikavkaz Promyshlenny district Oleg Oziyev.
The detectives are verifying the possible involvement of the detainees in other grave crimes committed in Moscow and the Moscow region, including the high-profile killing of an executive of a large financial and leasing company.
"The ceased weapons have been taken to a laboratory; there is no doubt the weapons were intended to be used against new victims. Hence, the detention of the gang members has helped prevent new crimes," Markin said.