Georgian-Armenian Criminal Group Arrested in Spain
By Tea Mariamidze
Friday, July 6
Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) informs that the National Police of the Kingdom of Spain, together with the Georgian MIA conducted another successful large-scale special operation as a result of which Georgian-Armenian criminal organized group was arrested.
Interpol and Europe were actively involved in the special operation and more than 800 Spanish and Georgian law enforcement officers took part in the operation, carried out simultaneously in various cities of Spain.
This special operation identified the Armenian-Georgian criminal group, which is headed by criminal brothers, the Shushanashvilis, together with Armenian ‘thieves-in-law.’
129 members of the Armenian-Georgian criminal gang, including 7 ‘thieves-in-law’ were detained in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Albacete, Murcia, Girona and Granada provinces.
As a result of the same special operation in Madrid and Valencia were detained two Georgian citizens, who will be judged according to the Spanish legislation. One of the men had an illegal enterprise at home for precious metal processing, with the purpose of covering the crime, while the other man was managing finances of the arrested criminal gang.
They were charged under Articles 515 and 301 of the Spanish Criminal Code, which implies membership of the criminal group and money laundering.
Mamuka Chelidze, Head of the Main Division of Combating Organized Crime of the Criminal Police says that members of the Armenian-Georgian criminal group are accused of criminal gang membership, drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal access to homes, illegal trade, tobacco smuggling, illegal possession of arms, falsification of documents, fraud, extortion and corruption in sports deals.
He added the operation had been underway for two years and a half to reveal the criminal gang.
“As a result of the special operation carried out on November 28 last year, more than 30 members of the Georgian criminal gang were detained, headed by the ‘thief-in-law’ Kakha Shushanashvili.
The special operation was evaluated by Europol and Interpol as one of the most important measures against international organized criminal groups of former Soviet origin since 2010.
