4/19/2015

TheOtherGreekTragedy:GeorgianandRussian/Eurasianorganizedcrime|InMoscow'sShadows

TheOtherGreekTragedy:Georgianand
Russian/Eurasianorganizedcrime
WithnewsofthearrestinThessalonikiofGeorgian
vorvzakoneDavidMazanashvili(Dato
Rustavsky),amemberofthesameKutaisiclan
targetedinthissummersEuropewideraids
underOperationSkhodka,itisworthbriefly
rememberingthatGreece,whilenotonquitethe
samescaleasuntilrecentlytheSpanishcoastline
orGermany,isverymuchanareaofinterestto
gangstersfromRussiaandpostSovietEurasia.
AlthoughRussiangangsterswereattractedthereinthe1990sbytheclimate,nottoo
intimidatinglawenforcementand,letsbehonest,relativeeaseofacquiringforged
documentsandlocalpassportsmostnotoriouslythecontractkilledAlexanderSolonik,who
wasmurderedtherehimselfin1997increasinglythecountryhascomewithintheorbitof
ethnicGeorgiangangsters.Tosomeextentthisreflectsthe1990sinfluxofethnicGreeks(Pontian
Greeks),especiallyfromGeorgia,whobecamebridgesbetweenthetwounderworlds.
GeorgiancriminalshadbeenincreasingtheirstakeinGreecesincearound2000,oftenworking
cooperativelywithlocalgangs.Thearrivalin2008ofLashaShushanashvili(LashaRustavsky),
theGeorgiankingpinalsonamedontheUSTreasuryslistofBrothersCirclemembers,only
demonstratedtheextenttowhichithadcometobeseenasacongenialbaseofoperationsinevery
way.Thismaywellhaveproventobeamistakeasnotonlydidsomeofthegangstheresuffer
fromGreecesfinancialwoes,butShushanashviliwasarrestedinAthensin2012underthe
ArmenianaliasMiroslavArtemyan.Hewasconvictedearlierthisyearonorganizedcrime
chargesandsentencedto14yearsinprison.Evenfrompretrialdetention,though,
Shushanashviliappearstohavebeenmaneuveringtotryandbecomeadominantforcewithin
theemigreGeorgianunderworldwhichwouldhaveputhimoncollisioncoursewithTariel
Oniani(Taro)whoislikewiseinprisonbuthardlyespeciallyinconveniencedbyhis
circumstancesandalsotodominateoratleastcherrypickelementsoftheAslanUsoyan(Ded
Hasan)network,followingthelattersmurder.Hehad,afterall,beenacloseaffiliateof
Usoyansandsawnoreasonwhyheasoneoftherelativelyfewremainingbignamevoryv
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TheOtherGreekTragedy:GeorgianandRussian/Eurasianorganizedcrime|InMoscow'sShadows

zakoneoughtnottosupplantUsoyansbloodkinatopthenetwork.
Shushanashvili,afterall,iscertainlynotwithoutambition
andselfconfidence.AccordingtotheGeorgian
interiorministry,heandothervoryhadbeenseekingto
influenceGeorgianpolitics,especiallythroughpenetrating
theGeorgianDreampartythatsuccessfullyunseated
MikheilSaakashvili(themanwho,forallhisnumerous
flawsandlunacies,didmanagetodrivethevoryoutof
Georgia).
LashaShushanashvili

Greecealsobecameaplaceinwhichnotonlycoulddirty
Russian/Eurasianmoneybelaunderedandspent(notleast

throughCyprus),butwiderfeudscouldbeprosecuted.The2010murderinAthensof
AbkhazianMalkhazKitia(Makhonia)waspartofthelongrunningwarbetweenUsoyanand
Oniani,ashewasthelatterslocalrepresentative.AthensbecamethebaseforbothOnianisallies
andShushanashvili,whileThessalonikiinsteadbecameanUsoyanfiefdom.On11December
2010,some5060voryandothercriminalkingpinsmetinGreecetheirlargestgatheringoutside
RussiaforyearspreciselytotryandresolvetheUsoyanOnianifeud.Itseemsobviouslytosay
thatultimately,theaccordtheyhammeredoutfailed.
WhileShushanashvilisconvictionistobewelcomed,inmanywaysthequestioniswhyittookso
longfortheGreekstoarresthimgiventheevidenceofhiscriminaloperationsinSpainand
elsewhere.ItremainsunclearhowseriousandhowabletheGreekauthoritiesaretocombat
GeorgianandRussian/EurasianOCathome,especiallygiventhatsomeofthematleastappearto
havetakenadvantageofthecountrysfinancialcrisistoinvest,buyandgenerallyacquireadeeper
stakeinthecountry.WhiletheGeorgiansareundoubtedlyinvolvedinthemoreovertcrime
protectionracketeering,drugandpeopletrafficking,etcthisshouldalsonotblindustothe
extentthatethnicRussiangangsarestillstronglyinvolvedinGreece,albeitmoreonawhitecollar
level,launderingandmovingtheirmoney,buyinginvestmentpropertiesandthelike.Aswithso
manyaspectsofGreecestroubledrelationshipwithitsEuropeanpartners,thatdoesmeanthat
GreektragediesareattheveryleasttroublesforitsEUpartners.
:
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TheOtherGreekTragedy:GeorgianandRussian/Eurasianorganizedcrime|InMoscow'sShadows

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