News

The investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee for the Republic of Ingushetia continue investigating a criminal investigation into crimes under article 317 of the RF Penal Code (attack on law enforcement officials) and part 2 of article 222 (illegal circulation of firearms).

According to investigators, in the morning of May 24, 2014, during a special operation in the village of Sagopshi, Malgobek District several unidentified people hiding in one of the houses opened fire at law enforcement officials and were killed during a shootout. The house, the insurgents used as a hideout was badly damaged – its walls partly collapsed and wooden parts were burned.

During examination of the scene investigators of the regional office of the Investigative Committee found 3 5.45mm submachine guns, 2 Stechkin pistols, 2 PM pistols, 1 Glock pistol and ammunitions.

There were seven bodies at the scene with different wounds and thermal burns (3 of the bodies can be identified). Their clothes was confiscated and examined, fingerprints were taken from five of the bodies. Others are impossible to be identified. DNA samples were taken from all the bodies. The same day the guns, ammunitions and bullet casings were sent to be analyzed at the Expert Forensic Center of the Interior Ministry, dactylographic cards were sent there to identify the bodies. According to conclusions of the Expert Forensic Center, fingerprints have been identified as belonging to Akhmed Yevloyev, Magomed Polonkoyev and Artur Getagazhev, all are residents of Ingushetia. Earlier the investigating bodies of the Republic had opened criminal cases against the said individuals over a number of serious and especially serious crimes under which all of them had been put on an international wanted list.

In all, Getagazhev, who according to operation data was a leader of the group, acting mostly in Malgobek District, and members of the group Yevloyev and Polonkoyev had been charged with roughly 30 crimes, mostly connected with murders of civilians and attacks on law enforcement officials, including an encroachment on the life of police officer V. Getagazhev, attempted murder of A. Merzhoyev, encroachment on the lives of officers of Chelyabinsk Region Office of the Interior Ministry, encroachment on the lives of officers of Security Office of the Malgobek District Office of the Interior Ministry M. Arsamakov and R. Balkhayev, encroachment on the life of battalion commander of operation of operatrion regiment of administrative border Patrol and Post Service of the Ingush Interior Ministry S. Matiyev, and officials of Malgobek District Office of the Interior Ministry M. Bekbuzarov, Z. Yandiyev and R. Murziyev, encroachment on the life of official of Malgobek office of the Federal Security Service M. Korigov, encroachment on the life of district operative of Malgobek District Office of the Interior Ministry B. Dodoyev, encroachment on the life of head of Pretrial Detention Center of Malgobek District Office of the Interior Ministry M. Peshkhoyev and his son, murder of K. Getazazhev, encroachment on the life of district operative of Malgobek District Office of the Interior Ministry I. Korigov, encroachment on the life of head of Malgobek Office of the Federal Security Service K. Cherkesov and finally encroachment on the life of Secretary of Security Council of Ingushetia Akhmed Kotiyev in August 2013, after which the driver died at the scene and Kitiyev on arrival at hospital.

This is not the full list of crimes committed by the Getagazhev’s group, and apparently they were not going to stop there considering the arsenal discovered at the scene. The investigation is ongoing.