Georgian-Spanish cooperation leads to detention of 129 members of criminal group

The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs announced today that 129 members of an Armenian-Georgian criminal group were detained with the active involvement of Georgia, Europol and Interpol.

Out of the 129 detainees two are Georgian citizens identified as P.J. and M.K. Most of the detainees are Armenians. Seven of them are criminal bosses.

More than 800 Spanish law enforcers were involved in the raid conducted in several cities of Spain. The special operation aimed to detain the members of a criminal group headed by Armenian criminal bosses and the Georgian brothers surnamed Shushanashvili,” the Georgian Interior Ministry stated.

The Interior Ministry announced that the investigation to crack down on the criminal group started two and a half years ago.

During the earlier stage of the investigation, on November 28, 2017, more than 30 members of a Georgian criminal group were detained,” the ministry stated.

The Interior Ministry reported that P.J. owned an illegal processor of precious stones and used it to melt or process stolen jewelry.

Another Georgian detainee M.K. had been laundering money gained through the illegal activities of the criminal group, the ministry stated.

Both of the Georgian detainees are charged with membership in a criminal group and money laundering.

The other detainees have been charged for membership in a criminal group, drug trafficking, money laundering, robbery, illegal trade of cars, cigarette contraband, corruption in sport games, illegal possession of firearms and fraudulence. 

All the detainees will face trials in Spain.