News

The Arkhangelsk Region and Nenets Autonomous Area Office of the Investigative Committee has finished an investigation against 27 members of a criminal community headed by Oleg Shamanin. Depending on the role of each one they are charged with membership in a criminal group under Part 2 of Article 210, membership in a stable armed group or a gang under Part 2o f Article 209, extortion under Part 3, items “a” and “b” of Article 163, deliberate destruction of another’s property under Part 2 of Article 167, extortion under Part 3, item “a” of Article 163 and robbery under Part 4, item “a” of Article 162 of the RF Penal Code.

According to investigators, Oleg Shamanin, a criminal kingpin, set up the gang in 2012. The gang held in awe businessmen in the towns of Severodvinsk and Arkhangelsk by making them pay tributes just like in the 1990s. Those who refused to pay received obvious and disguised threats, after which they lost their property and business. It was especially hard to reveal and stop the racketeers they had close connections to some police officers in Severodvinsk, who turned blind eye to complaints filed by uncooperative businessmen so the Shamanin’s gangsters felt quite unpunished.

Considering the personalities of the accused and the gravity of their wrongdoings they are kept in custody. Former chief of crime detection of the Severodvinsk Police Department was also taken into custody pending trial. Other police officers who had patronized the gangsters were dismissed and tried.

Oleg Shamanin escaped investigators and is wanted worldwide. He was charged in absentia with crimes against people, public order and control procedures and with organization of a criminal group (Part 4 of Article 210 of the RF Penal Code) which are punishable by life imprisonment. A court ruled to take him in custody pending trial. Law-enforcement authorities have located the man and are now taking steps to get him sent to Russia.

The investigators questioned more than 600 people, including 70 injured parties and arrested the property of the gangsters worth more than 50 million rubles.

Necessary investigative operations were carried out to collect and document the evidence. The defendants and their lawyers have read the case files and by now all 329 volumes of the criminal case have been forwarded to the prosecutor’s office for the indictment to be signed and will then be referred to court.