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| Caucasus |
| Chechen gang targeting generals eliminated |
| 2003-03-12 |
| A rebel gang that specialized in murdering Russian generals has been neutralized in Chechnya, top republican prosecutor Vladimir Kravchenko reported on Wednesday. The members of the gang are suspected of perpetrating a series of major terrorist attacks against the top brass of Russia’s military. In particular, the official said, the detained rebels had masterminded the murder of General-Lieutenant Igor Shifrin on November 15, 2002, when the car he was travelling in came under fire in the Chechen capital of Grozny. Shifrin sustained fatal wounds and died soon afterwards. Members of the same gang also gunned down a Mi-8 helicopter in Grozny in September 2001, resulting in the three crew and ten officers of the General Staff of the Defence Ministry being killed. ''The group has committed a total of about 50 crimes, mostly heinous crimes. The leader and four members of the criminal group have been detained,'' Kravchenko reported on Wednesday. He said that the leader of the criminal group was detained in January 2003. Shoulder-held missile launchers, Kalashnikov rifles, grenade launchers and fragmentation bombs were discovered during a search of his home. Also, a map indicating checkpoints and military bases was discovered. Bet they were glad to get him out of circulation... ''The detained rebel leader confessed that he had received orders directly from Shamil Basayev, and had killed Gen. Shifrin and shot down the helicopter at Basayev's order,'' he said. Three other detained members of the criminal group were involved in an attack on an Mi-26 helicopter in August 19, 2002, which resulted in the helicopter crashing near the Khankala military base, killing 119 people. The gang is also suspected of killing Lt. Col. Igor Yevseyev of the Federal Security Service in October 2001. Kravchenko said that criminal charges had been brought against each member of the criminal group. The cases will be investigated and then heard in court. Get it done before Vanessa gets the hand-wringers mobilized... |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #1 Detained...HA! Yeah, for about 50 years. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-03-12 22:20:39 |