Ivanovo prosecutor's office: "thief in law" controls all passenger transportation

In the Ivanovo region, a group led by a "thief in law" has been controlling almost the entire sphere of passenger automobile transportation for at least 13 years. This follows from the claim of the prosecutor's office of the region, which found that illegal income was transferred abroad, and also went to the activities of the criminal community.

The prosecutor's office demanded that the assets of the criminal authority and his associates totaling 6 billion rubles be turned into state income.

An audit of compliance with the requirements of legislation in the field of countering extremism was carried out, as a result, it was established that "since the 1990s, an association of persons has been formed on the territory of the Ivanovo region under the control of two residents of the region, endowed in the criminal environment with the statuses of the so-called "thief in law" and "posenets", respectively, and one leader of an organized criminal group".

"It also included 12 participants. The members of the association have been closely integrated into the AUE movement recognized as extremist ❶, whose activities are prohibited on the territory of Russia, adhere to criminal traditions and ideology," the supervisory authority said.

As stated, "since its inception, the association has been engaged in extortion, robberies, robberies, forceful redistribution of economic spheres of influence, intimidation of residents of the region, its competitors and opponents, and also integrated into the authorities."

"Its participants were repeatedly convicted of committing grave and especially grave crimes," the prosecutor's office added.

"Since 2013, the association has controlled almost the entire sphere of passenger road transport in the Ivanovo region, as a result of which it receives a stable income," the agency states.

According to him, in the period from 2016 to 2019, the criminal community, under the leadership of one of its participants, organized illegal logging of forest plantations totaling more than 30 million rubles. In addition, the material base was replenished by collecting funds from the so-called "watchers" in the region for cities and districts, as well as for correctional facilities.

"The members of the association own vehicles, about 40 companies and more than 250 expensive real estate objects, including production and industrial sites located in the cities of Ivanovo, Vichuga and Moscow. Among the nominal owners of the property there are also relatives and close persons of the members of the association who help manage the business," the report says.

It is noted that "illegal income was withdrawn abroad, as well as directed to finance activities carried out against the life and health of citizens, the disorganization of the activities of public authorities, the growth of assets of an organized criminal community."

In this regard, the prosecutor of the Ivanovo region sent a statement of claim to the Ivanovo District Court of the region to ban the activities of the association on the territory of the Russian Federation in connection with the implementation of extremist activities, the appeal to the state income of the property of the participants, as well as shares in companies totaling more than 6 billion rubles.

In addition, the court ruling imposed interim measures on the property of the association's participants that do not prevent the payment of current payments, including the payment of wages and the purchase of fuel in order to ensure transport accessibility, the supervisory authority said.

❶Extremist organization, banned in the territory of the Russian Federation