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The evidence gathered by the Saint Petersburg Investigations Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia was found to be sufficient by the court and jurors to sentence Alexander Glotov, Igor Khludkov, Vitaly Samsonov, Pavel Grigoryev, Dmitry Gorshkov, Konstantin Zubov, Georgy Zukhin, Andrey Karpov, and Anatoly Kulikov. Depending on the part they took, they were found guilty of committing offences under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 209; Paragraphs A and B of Part 4 of Article 162; Paragraph A of Part 3 of Article 126; Part 3 of Article 166; Paragraphs A and B of Part 3 of Article 163; Part 1 of Article 22 of the Criminal Code of Russia (banditry; robbery; kidnapping; illegal seizure of a vehicle; extortion; illegal turnover of arms).

The investigation and the court established that, in 2012, Samsonov and Khludkov had organised a gang to commit robberies against citizens in order to steal their property. The gang had been distinguished by its stability, members persistence, strict discipline, thorough preparation to offences, the use of conspiracy techniques, camouflage clothing, body armour, vehicles and mobile communication devices. The gang members had been armed with two assault rifles, seven guns, three submachine guns, a revolver, a silencer, a grenade, an explosive, a large number of cartridges.

Various gang members, as well as Alexander Gromov, who signed an immunity agreement pre-trial, had committed: on November 20, 2012, a robbery attack on three people on Shafirovsky Prospekt Street resulted in seizure of more than 9.86 million roubles; on September 11, 2013, a robbery attack at the Pulkovo 2 Airport with more than $2.5 million stolen; on May 28, 2014, they had kidnapped the victim and stolen his money, other property, and a car, and also had extorted from him 100 million roubles, in Novosaratovka rural settlement of Vsevolozhsk District of Leningrad Region; on July 15, 2014, a robbery attack on Pulkovo Highway on three victims, as a result of which $1.5 million had been stolen.

The case files comprise 76 volumes. During the investigation, over 200 various examinations were conducted and about 50 witnesses were questioned.

Gromov was previously convicted for six years of imprisonment in a strict regime correctional colony.

The court sentenced the defendants to imprisonment in a strict regime colony for the period from 7 to 13 years.

The court also ruled in favour of the civil suits in the amount of 1.23 million roubles and $2.5 million.