This is the face — and the proper attitude — of a true Russian mobster. He is what is called a criminal authority; Vory v Zakone, or in English, the Thieves-in-Law. For someone so camera-shy, he’s been caught on video too many times. Let me tell you about it.
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The Mob Reporter here with the story of Ando the Lame, an unlucky fellow who plays an unwitting role in recent changes in how the Russian government takes on its top gangsters.
Andranik Harutyunyan, better known as Ando the Lame, had more misfortune than just his unflattering nickname. Back in 2016, he was spotted in a restaurant in Moscow when he shouldn’t have been in Russia at all. He was there at an awkward time: Just as the Russian government was planning a crack down on the underworld elite — the Vory V Zakone. What better way to announce a tough new stance against criminal bosses than to bag one in the capital city and send him on a perp walk.
And so they picked up Ando; and he played his role perfectly. This arrest was in March 2016. It was unveiled by Anatoly Yakunin, the head of Moscow’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Chief of the Moscow Police as he publicly declared war on the Vory V Zakone. He warned of a new tactics to hit the top bosses of the Russian underworld — a powerful new law to punish the top bosses, the “criminal authorities” — meaning the Vor V Zakone. The logic goes like this: Cops usually catch the grunts, the soldiers, the lower level crooks that do the hands-on work while the bosses who gave the orders keep the appearance of innocence. They don’t get their hands dirty. And so it is rare to prove serious crimes.
Anatoly Yakunin said enough is enough. Announcing a new strategy against the top mob bosses he warned that a change to Russian law was making it a serious crime to just be a boss, even if there isn’t evidence of participating in a specific crime. It was called Article 210.1. And the punishment for «occupying the highest position in the criminal hierarchy», as the law was worded, would be significant. The new law, presented by appointed by Vladimir Putin was quickly passed and one month after the showy arrest of Ando the Lame and Yakunin’s announcement, Article 210.1 became law.
But it was harder to handle than Anatoly Yakunin thought. The first major test case was against an alleged vor named Zakhary Kalashov, also known as Shakro Molodoi. He was arrested in grand fashion at his huge and garishly decorated mansion, as seen here. That was in 2016, a few months after the new law was announced. But that case fell apart under strong legal challenge. In 2017, Russian authorities finally hit the mark. Mamuka Chkadua, also known as Mamuka Galsky, was convicted for being a mob boss and sentenced to 17 years. The legal victory was hailed by police as creating a precedence for other cases.
But there seemed to be a lot of wrinkles. Luckily, the new law gives police wiggle room. An alleged Vor can be arrested and held in prison without bail for a year and a half while police and prosecutors gathered evidence to build their case. The log jam appears to be breaking. The past couple of weeks has seen Article 210.1 cases chased with new vigour. One case has finally been sent to trial. A rarity. The accused vor was arrested in Russia’s Tomsk region last year. Here is video of the arrest from the Tomsk police. He is accused of being the top underworld criminal authority in the region for the last eight years.
In recent days there have been other Vory arrested, sent to trial or declared fugitives in Article 210.1 investigations. In Moscow, a bigger fish may follow. Rashad Ismayilov also faces prosecution for occupying the highest position in the criminal hierarchy, according to Russian reports. He is accused of being the new underworld boss of Moscow itself. If true, then that would be a significant achievement. And a suitable milestone in the new law that Ando the Lame helped usher in. But why not Ando himself? The man who was made the face of the new law? He met an even grimmer fate. And the dreaded cameras were rolling then, too.
CREDITS:
Music is Frost by HOVATOFF; photo of Rashad Ismayilov is from Telegram channel 112; clip of boxer is from norayr simonyan at [ Ссылка ]; Moscow metro video CC BY [ Ссылка ]
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