Security Service prevented terror attack
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Tuesday, August 23
Georgia’s State Security Service (SSS) held a special briefing, claiming it had prevented a terror attack which aimed to explode a Russia-Armenia pipeline section passing through Georgia.
Seven people have been detained in total. Five of them have already been charged with preparing a terrorist attack and the illegal purchase and keeping of explosives and weapons, while the other two have been arrested for other alleged illegalities in relation to the case.
The five people who were directly involved in the terrorist act attempt were identified as Beka B, Vledimir R, Mindia V, Jaba M and Nuri Ch, all Georgian citizens, the SSS said.
The sixth detainee, named as Levan M, was charged for exceeding official powers in relation to the alleged offence, as he was an acting employee of Georgia’s Patrol Police, while Irakli B, was charged for concealing of a crime.
The SSS stated that the people had been under surveillance for five months until they were detained on August 20, prior to the destruction of the Russia-Armenia pipeline section at the Saguramo village, about 21 kilometers from Georgia’s capital city of Tbilisi.
The five individuals were detained at the scene when they tried to take out explosive materials and weapons from their hideout in a wood near Georgia’s eastern Zhinvali-Shatili highway, the SSS said.
The Agency added they also seized maps from a personal computer of one of the detainees, indicating the exact locations where attacks were planned.
The SSS stated one of the arrested had enjoyed frequently travels to Ukraine, but they still had no evidence whether the group was tasked from Ukraine or not.
Some media outlets spread information as if the arrested policeman was a relative of Georgia’s Defence Minister, Levan Izoria.
The Ministry released a special statement over the issue, saying it was a piece of disinformation which aimed to discredit the ministry.
