Police arrest five for connections with “criminal underworld”

The Georgian Interior Ministry on Wednesday said it had arrested five individuals for connections with the “criminal underworld” and use of criminal authorities for settling financial disputes in capital Tbilisi and western cities of Ozurgeti and Lanchkhuti.

The Ministry said two of the individuals were accused of membership in the “criminal underworld” one was arrested for supporting its activities, and two were detained for appealing to its members, adding two of the arrested persons had a criminal history.

The body said its investigation had established the arrested individuals had asked members of the “criminal underworld” for support in solving a financial dispute related to construction.

The involved individuals organised “thief-in-law trials” to resolve a dispute, made decisions and tasked one of the disputing parties to make a payment of ₾15,000 ($5,504) to the other side within a month.

The body added law enforcement officers had seized computer equipment, “probable narcotic substances”, and phones used by the group for communication between each other in their search of the individuals and their residential houses.

The crimes are punishable by up to 10 years in prison.