MIA arrests six on charges of ‘membership in the criminal underworld’

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has arrested six individuals on charges of ‘belonging to the criminal underworld’ in Zestaponi and Tbilisi.

The ‘criminal underworld’ is a form of organised crime usually under the protection of criminal bosses who organise the activities of gangs.

If convicted, the individuals face seven to 10 years in prison, according to the Head of the Central Department for Combating Organized Crime of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Mamuka Chelidze.

"The accused individuals have been taking part in criminal discussions and kept active ties with so-called Georgian thieves-in-law living abroad,” Mamuka Chelidze said. 

According to Georgian legislation, a ‘thief-in-law’ is a person who manages in any form and/or organises the activities of the criminal underworld or a certain group of criminal individuals. 

Investigators say that three of the six detainees have been threatening the owner of a cafe in Zestaponi, demanding share thirty percent of his monthly profit in return for ‘protection’ from the so called thief-in-law Pridon Sulakvelidze currently living abroad.

According to the investigation, two other detainees have been accused of organising a so-called ‘criminal discussion’, which entails assessments and evaluations of a situation between feuding criminal groups with the aim of resolving disputes in the criminal underworld.  

The ‘criminal discussion’ was organised in agreement with thief-in-law Nadir Salipov. The sixth detainee, wanted since 2007,  has had close ties with other representatives of the criminal underworld. Namely, with Zaza Elikashvili, Otar Elizbarashvili, Giorgi Akhalmosulishvili and Nodar Giorgadze.

The amendments passed by the Georgian parliament in April made membership in the ‘criminal underworld’ punishable by imprisonment for seven to 10 years.

‘Thieves-in-law’ are imprisoned for up to 15 years, while the organisation of or participation in ‘criminal discussions’ is punishable by seven to 10 years.