The Komi Republic investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee have finished investigating a criminal case against 39-year-old resident of Vorkuta Konstantin Spirin. He is charged with crimes under part 2 of article 210 of the RF Criminal Code (membership in criminal community), part 2 of article 209 (membership in a stable armed group (gang) and assaults committed by it), paragraphs “a”, “f”, “g”, “h” of article 105 (murder of more than two people committed in a generally dangerous way and by an organized group aggravated by banditry), paragraphs “a” and “b” of part 3 of article 111 (deliberate infliction of grievous bodily harm dangerous for human life committed by an organized group against two people), part 3 of article 30, paragraphs “a”, “f”, “g”, “h” of article 105 (attempted murders committed in a generally dangerous way and by an organized group aggravated by banditry).

According to investigators, Spirin was an active member of the criminal organization Ifa-Kozlov, which acted in Vorkuta and other cities of the Republic in the period 1990-2000. Its leaders and members are charged with multiple murders and attempted murders, abductions, extortion and frauds on an especially massive scale, illegal circulation of firearms, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices and other felonies. There are 29 people under investigation, 25 of them are in custody. One of the leaders (Oleg Ifa) and three active members are internationally wanted (court has issued arrest warrants in absentia). At present the accused and their lawyers are studying 340 volumes of the case.

Namely, Spirin is charged with taking part in the murder of the major Vorkuta businessman, the main business competitor of the gang Alexander Agadzhanyan and active member of his gang Vadim Shishov. He committed it on the order of the Ifa-Kozlov gang leader and under his plan. The gang had information that Agadzhnyan and Shishov had been personally involved in killing of Alexander Mozhayev, a member of the gang, killed in October 2001 near the Vorkuta Mining Institute. Spirin and his accomplice made an improvised explosive device and placed it in a VAZ-2105 car, which they parked near the Shakhtyor sports center. On 21 January 2002, when the victims headed for the entrance to the center, the bomb was set off by a remote control. Agadzhnyan and Shishov were wounded and died at hospital. In addition, a man and woman, who were near the car, were severely wounded as well.

In April 2005, Spirin took part in the murder of member of the Shagivaliyevskie gang Vladimir Alexandrov (he was strangled in the garage of café Secret in the village of Komsomolskoye and his body was taken and left in tundra). The murder was planned, prepared and committed with immediate participation of 9 of the Ifa-Kozlov gang motivated by revenge for the fact that Alexandrov allegedly killed Vladimir Ifa and his wife in Moscow in 1997. The members of the gang wanted to deal with Alexandrov and Azat Shagivaliyev in April 2004, but then the victims survived the explosion of an improvised bomb with sustaining injuries.

Several times gang members, including Spirin, tried to kill gang member Andrey Grinko responsible for the cash and financial flows of the gang. According to the accused Grinko stole some money which had to go in the common pot and spent them on his own needs. However they failed to kill him in January and May 2003. First time a killer shooting from the car missed, next time the victim’s bodyguards saw a bomb in the stairwell and warned their boss.

During the investigation Spirin gave consistent confessionary testimonies and the criminal case against him was severed in a separate law suit due to pretrial cooperation deal with investigators.

The case has been forwarded for the indictment to be approved and further to court to be tried on the merits.