According to Spanish press, the power of Russian mafia, which was recently the target of a major crime-busting operation in Europe, stems from the support by the Russian government, businesses and politicians. This is the reason why Spain, which is particularly active in its fight with the criminals from the former USSR, is encountering major difficulties when it approaches Russian government for support.
During a police operation (codenamed Java) this Monday, 69 ex-USSR nationals were detained. 24 were arrested in Spain alone (in Barcelona, Valencia and Guadalajara). Similar operations took place in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. Among those detained are nationals of Russia, Georgia and Armenia.
According to El Pais, the modern "Russian mafia" has emerged from the KGB and the Communist Party. To become a criminal boss, it is apparently sufficient to have good connections within the soviet-time ruling elite. The newspaper describes the scheme involving a Russian Mafioso, who may be a senior executive in a private oil or metallurgical company, transferring his illegal profits to US, German, Dutch and Swiss investment companies, who later invest the money in dozens of countries, including Spain.
El Pais reports that instead of providing help, Russian authorities make attempts to find out what exactly the Spanish police knows about the criminals they had detained. There have been several assassination attempts against Spanish investigators involved in the operations against Russian mafia.
Spanish investigators have concluded that the person behind the Russian criminal cartel is so influential in Russia, that the arrests are followed immediately by official condescension requests. Many such requests turn out to be associated with either the Russian parliament or with Putin's election campaign.
The Spanish press is also surprised by the apparently infinite money supply enjoyed by the Russian mafia - those arrested are hiring the most influential Spanish lawyers and pay astronomical bail deposits. Bribery and blackmail also likely happen. The matters are complicated by the ongoing economic crisis - the Russians always have the money that they are eager to invest.
According to the Svoboda ("Freedom") radio station, those detained are suspected of extortion, illegal arms trade, narcotics trade and money laundering. It was established that Barcelona, where the 38-year old Kahaber Shushanashvili (assumed to be the leader) lived, was the financial centre where money flowed from illegal activities in Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Switzerland and other countries. Shushanashvili is suspected to have been in charge of all criminal activity of Georgian expatriates across the whole of Europe.
Juan Ramon Iglesias, a representative of the Spanish police, told Svoboda that the investigators have been watching those detained for over a year. The Spanish press quotes the phone intercepts from the investigation materials and reports that they had boasted of having "captured the whole of Europe". All of those arrested will be interrogated this week by Fernando Grande-Marlaska, an investigator at the Audiencia Nacional (National Court) of Spain, who supervises the Java operation.
12 arrests were made in Austria. A search has uncovered previously stolen valuables - computers, laptops, jewels and designer clothes. Those arrested in other countries are accused of drug smuggling, money laundering, extortion, bribery and illegal weapons possession.
Department of Monitoring,
Kavkaz Center
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