Three Detained for Membership of Criminal Underworld, Connection with Criminal Bosses
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, March 27
Three individuals have been detained for the membership of criminal underworld and appealing to criminal bosses to settle a dispute, the Georgian Interior Ministry says.
The ministry stated that one of the detainees, who had a dispute with his business partner, appealed to two members of the criminal underworld to settle the dispute in his favor, with the help of a Georgian criminal mafia leader living abroad Zaal Makharoblidze.
The two individuals, with previous criminal records in serious crimes, and Makharoblidze on the phone tried to exercise pressure on the business partner to make him refuse his own shares.
The crime is punishable by three to ten years in prison.
The ministry stated that starting from January 2018 five criminal mafia leaders and 39 members of mafia gangs have been detained.
The ministry reports that 32 others have been detained for the participation in criminal assemblies on demanded from criminal bosses, the support of activities from the organized crime leaders and appealing to criminal bosses “to establish the truth” in certain disputes between individuals.
In August 2018, the Interior Ministry expanded the list of crimes in the criminal code related to so-called criminal bosses and their activities.
The ministry stated that through their initiative, the criminal code now considers the following activities criminal offenses:
Participating in criminal assemblies called for by criminal bosses.
Support of activities of criminal bosses.
Appeals to criminal bosses “to establish the truth” in certain disputes between individuals.
