The first organized crime group of “Wagnerites” with axes in the service of drug cartels was uncovered in Russia
- Details
The OCG from Orel region included three former members of PMC “Wagner”. Since May 2023, they were engaged in extortion in the interests of drug stores, taking cars and apartments from people.
In the Orel region of Russia covered up an organized criminal group, which included former mercenaries of PMC “Wagner”, writes Baza. Police detained four people on suspicion of extortion.
According to the investigation, the “Wagnerites” united in a gang in May 2023 and engaged in extorting debts from debtors of drug lords. The gang members did not communicate through open channels, encrypted and adhered to strict secrecy.
In case of refusal to pay them money, the former mercenaries forced such citizens to give up their apartments and cars under threats. One resident of Orel, who owed the drug shop 55,000 rubles and could not repay the money, wrote a receipt that he would give them his Audi A6 free of charge.
The Wagnerites used various weapons to intimidate him, including a hunting knife, an axe, a club and a homemade gun with a silencer. In one case, they forced a debtor to persuade his mother to sign over an apartment in Orel to them. The deal was notarized, and the apartment was sold. In total, the OCG accounted for eight episodes. The detainees were arrested. They face up to 15 years in prison.
The participants of the war in Ukraine who returned from the front have repeatedly become involved in criminal cases. In particular, the courts have completed or are continuing trials in 84 cases with human casualties, “Virstka” calculated at the end of April.
Since the beginning of this year, veterans have committed at least eight murders. In late May, former “Wagnerites” in Chelyabinsk staged a mass brawl with local residents that ended in gunfire. Some war veterans claimed to have received gunshot wounds. However, it is worth noting that this is the first case of an organized crime group made up of former war veterans in Ukraine.
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