The Komi Republic investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee have finished investigating a series of crimes committed by the criminal organization “Ifa-Kozlov” from Vorkuta. Leaders and members of the gang are charged with the crimes under article 210 of the RF Criminal Code (organization of criminal community and membership in it), article 209 (setting up a stable armed group (gang) to attack citizens and membership in it), article 105 (murder of more than two people accompanied by taking a hostage, committed in a generally dangerous way and by an organized group aggravated by banditry), part 3 of article 30, article 105 (attempted murder by an organized group aggravated by banditry), part 3 of article 111 (deliberate infliction of grievous bodily harm committed by an organized group), article 159 (swindling by an organized group on an especially large scale), article 163 (extortion by an organized group to get property on an especially large scale), article 206 (taking a hostage of mercenary motive, committed by an organized group), article 222 (illegal acquisition, transfer, storage, transportation of firearms, their main parts, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices committed by an organized group) and others.
According to investigators, the criminal organization, which consisted of former law-enforcement officers, sportsmen, veterans and others, was set up in early 1990s in the city of Vorkuta. The gang was organized by Vladimir Ifa and Yuri Kozlov. In 1997, after Vladimir’s death, his brother Oleg Ifa became an active leader of the gang. At first members of the gang (no less than 20 people in all) extorted money from businessmen threatening with violence and destruction or damage to their property. By the early 2000s the number of the gang members reached 50. There was hierarchy and tough discipline, deviation from the rules was severely punished, all the members had to follow safety and secrecy rules. There was a so called “cash”, where the money got from criminal activity was put.
The group was well-armed. Investigators found a lot of arms dumps with arms, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices, namely 11 Kalashnikovs of different modifications, over 40 different pistols, 6 carbines and rifles, sawn-off guns, 2 hand-made explosive devices, 4 grenade launchers and flame-throwers, several thousands of cartridges of different calibers, several grenades (including antitank bombs) and antipersonnel mines. The criminal files show that the gang committed tens of murders and attempted murders. Only in this case the members were charged with 12 murders and attempted murders (all the crimes were committed in the past years) and 2 counts of taking hostages. Bandits got rid of their dangerous competitors - members of other criminal groups and members of their own gang, who, according to their leaders, deserved punishment. Files and criminal cases over other personal crimes, including murders, were severed in a separate lawsuit.
The gang was financed by the income from racket, prostitution, illegal drug traffic, circulation of firearms, explosives and explosive devices. The gang got millions of rubles from swindling with shares of Gazprom and resale of property arrested by bailiffs service and bought at understated price. They laundered the money through trade organizations, entertainment facilities, hotels, chemists’, etc.
During the searches investigators seized about 20 million rubles. As a secure means the money and assets worth about 200 million rubles were arrested.
Investigating operations (searches, seizures, identification, interviews of witnesses) were performed in the cities of Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Leningrad, Moscow, Tver, Kirov, Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, Kaluga, Saratov, Rostov, Belgorod, Kursk, Voronezh, Tambov Regions and Krasnodar Territory.
Members of the investigating group worked in close cooperation with operational officers of other law-enforcement agencies. During investigating operations (check of testimonies on the spot, searches and examinations of crime scenes) in order to provide efficient work and security of investigators officers of special rapid response unit, riot police, inspectors – dog specialists, personnel of a separate convoy company of the republican Interior Ministry were actively deployed.
The successful investigation of crimes of the gang was contributed by stable cooperation between investigators and operational services and exchange of information, creative and profound approach to investigation, zeal of investigators. Meticulous preparation to solving crimes, careful collection of information, clearly set tasks to finding links and subjects, who have information from in the system of internal vertical and horizontal relations, and their implementation made the seemingly stable criminal hierarchy to have fallen apart.
At present there are 29 persons under this investigation, 25 of them are in custody as a pretrial restraining measure. The accused have started reading the case, which has 240 volumes. One of the leaders (Oleg Ifa) and four active members of the gang are internationally wanted. The court ruled in absentia to arrest them.
Investigation of other crimes committed by the “Ifa-Kozlov” gang is ongoing.
PDF version 
DOC version
