In implementing their strategic plans, the Russian Federation's special services (FSB) have always taken into account the influence of criminal elements on social processes, skillfully promoting leaders, so-called "thieves in law"—individuals willing to facilitate the implementation of the strategic plans of their "Lubyanka partners" under certain guarantees.
Following the successful annexation of Crimea and the resolution of the crucial tasks of integrating it into imperial structures, in March 2014, the peninsula's criminal underbelly was finally addressed. By this time, local so-called "crime bosses" were under the surveillance of security forces: Viktor Makarov (Bely), Vitaly Pyrkha, Soso Kekelia (Soso Potiysky), Kakha Makalatia (Kakha Novorossiysky), and Anatoly Yakunin (Senka Samarsky).
Attempts by former leaders of the most powerful (in the past) criminal organizations—"Bashmaki" (Bashmaki)—"Yura Moldovan"; "Salem"—"Sergey Voronok"—to revive their organizations, taking advantage of the transition period, have been unsuccessful for individual units of their groups.
However, despite the aforementioned "authorities" having a certain weight in the criminal world, their position in the thieves' hierarchy, and their minimal influence on the criminal underworld in Ukraine, the FSB did not allow them to be effectively used for its own purposes.
In light of this, the Russian secret service did not interfere with the desire of 53-year-old Kamo Safaryan (Kamo), a national thief in law, to return to Yalta after his release from prison, where he had settled long before Crimea was returned to Russia. Meanwhile, his FSB handlers hoped to leverage Kamo's influence in the western regions of Ukraine, where he had long-standing, strong ties dating back to the time when Tengiz Karchava was the enforcer there.
But Kamo failed to live up to his handlers' expectations. He was least interested in events in Ukraine or his involvement in the FSB's most important task—organizing criminal pressure on Tatar businesses and their leaders on the peninsula.
Kamo actively participated in the confrontation between the "grandfathers" and the Dzhangveladze clan, taking part in all sorts of coronations and gatherings: from Moscow to Dubai.
In early 2015, supervisors from the Central Intelligence Agency of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB RF) negatively assessed the organization's use of criminal elements to exert force against the Crimean Tatar ethnic group, with minimal impact on socio-political processes in southeastern Ukraine, particularly in the Odessa region.
The result was a decision to reshuffle Crimea's criminal Olympus and promote Chechen thieves-in-law to key roles. It was believed that Chechen militants would be able to put such pressure on Tatar businesses and Mejlis leaders that they would be willing to sharply curtail protest activity in exchange for guarantees of personal safety.
In March 2015, the operational plan entered the implementation phase when, as a result of a large-scale police operation on the peninsula, three thieves in law were detained at once.
During a search of K. Safaryan's Yalta mansion, investigators discovered two automatic pistols and ammunition. A complete submachine gun was also found at the residence of Chechen thief Gelani Sedy (Aliyev). A third kingpin, 41-year-old Kakha Tbilissky (Kakhaber Oragvelidze), received administrative arrest and deportation from the Russian Federation.
Thus, a place was cleared for the new leader of the Crimean criminal world, one of the top five in the thieves' hierarchy, 56-year-old Russian (Chechen) thief in law Omar Bekayev, known by the nicknames Omar Ufimsky and Uncle.
Uncle had interests in Crimea before. He owns property in Feodosia and on the Southern Coast of Crimea.
There is reason to believe that one of the main areas of activity for the new overseer of Crimea will be to expand his influence over the criminal underworld of the southeastern region of Ukraine, primarily the Odessa region, where Ufimsky retains a significant level of influence.
On December 7, 2009, Omar Ufimsky and four armed Chechens accompanying him were detained at the Odessa train station. The suspect was carrying a passport in the name of Yerkash Topayev, a resident of Almaty, and a pistol with four rounds in the magazine.
After a month in an Odesa pretrial detention center, the thief in law was unexpectedly released from the Primorsky District Court due to "poor health." However, he was arrested again a few days later. The court sentenced Omar Ufimsky to four years for illegal possession of weapons.
Arriving at the Odessa prison, Uncle immediately took up the post of "overseer" and after some time took control of the "southern common fund", as a result of which he enjoyed high authority among former "prisoners" in the south of the country.
He visited Odessa several times, where he was able to secure the support of Georgian thieves in law who had settled in the Southern Palmyra and regain his former authority and influence.
The famous thief in law's partner will be another Chechen crime boss, 41-year-old Gelani Sedoy (Aliyev), who has already been released from prison.
The latter, under guarantees of securing a foothold on the peninsula and avoiding criminal prosecution for weapons and drug possession, maintains criminal pressure against anti-Russian members of the Crimean Tatar ethnic group. With his direct involvement, several coastal towns have seen the replacement of "overseers"—Tatars with Chechens.
The evolving situation in Crimea will also have negative consequences for southern Ukraine. Consistent with the overall strategy of destabilizing the country's domestic political situation, implemented by Russian intelligence agencies, operational combinations involving Chechen thieves-in-law could play a negative role.
Given this, it is predictable that Ufimsky will establish control over the "southern" common fund, stimulating pro-Russian sentiment in Odessa, and supporting the idea of creating an "Odessa Republic."
Ufa's coronation of thieves-in-law from among the criminal underworld living in the territories of the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics (there is information available) will also have a certain negative effect, which, given his high position in the criminal underworld, is entirely feasible.
Sergey Nikonov, ORD
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