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A court has recognized the evidence collected by the Primorye Territory investigating authorities of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation sufficient to convict 11 members of the “Ryzhykhov” gang, namely Viktor Taranenko, Vladimir Taranenko, Sergey Avilov, Aleksandr Musharyapov, Aleksey Yakupov, Anton Rostotsky, Pavel Korolkov, Oleg Fobyanchuk, Sergey Kasyanov, Yevgeny Ostrovsky, and Aleksandr Kozharov. Depending on the role of each, they have been found guilty of committing crimes under Article 209 of the RF Criminal Code (banditry), Article 222 of the RF Criminal Code (illegal purchase, transfer, sale, possession and carrying of weapons), Article 223 of the RF Criminal Code (illegal manufacturing of weapons), Article 105 of the Criminal Code (murder), Part 3 of Article 30, Article 105 of the RF Criminal Code (attempted murder), Part 3 of Article 33, Article 105 of the RF Criminal Code (organization of a murder), Article 162 of the RF Criminal Code (robbery), Article 111 of the RF Criminal Code (intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm), Article 126 of the RF Criminal Code (kidnapping), Article 166 of the RF Criminal Code (motor vehicle theft), Article 318 of the RF Criminal Code (violence against a public officer), Article 163 of the RF Criminal Code (extortion).

The court and investigators have found that the gang operated from 1998 to 2007 in several localities of Primorye Territory: Vladivostok, Artem, Ussuriysk, Nakhodka and Shkotovsky District. The men are accused of more than 40 episodes of offenses against the person and property of citizens, namely contract killings, murders in the division of spheres of influence in the criminal world of Primorye Territory, killings of gang members in the struggle for power inside the gang, violence against police officers in the execution of their duties. Several murders had been committed in socially dangerous way, namely by detonating explosive devices in the entrance halls of multi-apartment buildings. For example, in March 2003, to kill a person in the entrance-hall of a block of flats on Ovchinnikov street in Vladivostok, the gang members had planted an improvised explosive device, rigged a CCTV camera and set off the bomb in the needed moment. The person was killed by the explosion. People living in the house missed death by inches. Three years later, on 16 February, in the morning an explosion rocked in an entrance-hall in a building in Kirov street in Vladivostok. The bomb had been set on the first floor and one of the gang members used a remote control to detonate it. However, the man, the gang members tried to kill, passed the blast area and timely received medical aid.

It should be noted that the investigation took almost 2 years. A lot of investigative operations were conducted during the probe. During searches and examinations of crime scenes, investigators confiscated the gang’s ammunition – several dozens of items of firearms, more than 5 thousand cartridges, a considerable amount of TNT, plastic and other explosives. There are 60 volumes in the criminal case. Operational support of the investigation was carried out by officials of crime detection department of the Russian Ministry of Interior and officials of the Primorye Territory office of the Russian Ministry of Interior.

The court has sentenced Viktor Taranenko to a life confinement in a special-security penal colony, Vladimir Taranenko to 19 years, Sergey Avilov to 22 years, Alexander Musharyapov to 16 years, Alexey Yakupov to 21 years, Anton Rostotsky to 23 years, Oleg Fobyanchuk to 20 years, Sergey Kasyanovto 11 years, Yevgeny Ostrovsky to 20 years, Alexander Kozharov to 12 years to be served in a maximum-security penal colony, Pavel Korolkov to 6 years in a general-regime penal colony.

The criminal cases against organizer of the gang Alexey Gorbachyov and his brother Yevgeny Gorbachyov were considered by a court. Alexey Moskalenko, the one who had ordered one of the murders, was also convicted. The sentences have entered into force.