Azertag, 11 March 2005

A series of grave crimes committed recently in capital Baku aroused wide public response, have made it necessary to take the most serious measures for their clearance without delay, and resolute suppression of crime.

The head of State demanded to enlist the efforts and means for more purposeful organization of combat against crime, solution to the grave crimes committed over the past years, especially those against freedom and dignity of a person, as well as kidnapping and premeditated murders.

In this connection, intensive operational-investigative measures have been undertaking with respect to kidnapping of Zamira Shirali gyzy Hajiyeva, who had been kidnapped February 10 2005 while walking out of the beauty shop "Magic Lady" located on Adil Iskandarov st. in Baku.

As a result of the successive, purposeful, special and professionally organized operational-investigative actions by the Ministry of National Security and the Office of the Prosecutor General, an organized gang engaged in kidnapping, killing and other worst crimes since 1996, has been neutralized on 10 March 2005.

A number of the gang's members including its leader - chief investigator-in-charge at the Main Criminal Office of the Interior Ministry of Azerbaijan, lieutenant-colonel Haji Teymur oglu Mammadov have been arrested.

As a result of the well-prepared and professionally conducted special operation (code name "Black Belt"), kidnapped Zamira Hajiyeva who was kept in the house (Keshla settlement, Khatai district, Baku) of Kuliyeva Nailya Huseyn gyzy, a Haji Mammadov's common-law wife and companion in crimes committed under his leadership, has been freed and returned to her family.

Zamira Hajiyeva was kept in the basement of the construction provided with special equipment, cover-ups and secret passages. In the course of the operation to release Zamira Hajiyeva, the gang members Asgar Ali oglu Iskandarov, 51, shot himself dead with Makarov pistol, and Elchin Eldar oglu Aliyev, 38 - deputy Chairman of the United Universal Joint Stock Bank (Capital Bank) wounded himself while suicide attempt with the same kind of pistol. After the gang was disclosed, a plenty of material evidence were discovered, and its members started giving testimony concerning their previous crimes. They confessed in particular that people kidnapped in the past had also been kept in this house.

During investigation of criminal case on abduction Zamira Hajiyeva numerous versions have been fulfilled, carried out a special researches, the analysis and comparison of materials as a result of which it has been established, that in many not opened criminal cases about abduction 'criminal handwriting' of the same groups is traced.. Thus, as a result of arrest of a gang under direction of Haji Mamedov there was possible a disclosing making by her before crimes, including abductions of the below-mentioned persons who have been released after payment of the huge repayment: Elshan Hasanov - son of businessmen Abdulhamid Hasanov on February 27 2005"; son of staff member of the Oil Company Ilham Gadimov on August 5, 1996; Javid Manafov -son of businessmen Mamadhuseyn Manafov on November 4, 1996; president of Greece- Azerbaijan joint venture Bagirov Ulvan - on February 7, Ahmed Mamedov - son of chairman of the State Company "Azersigorta" Mamed Mamedov; a former director of Baku dairy factory Babayev Zeynalabdin - on February 26, 1999; a former assistant of Khatai district's prosecutor and son of the owner of restaurant "Portofino" Oktay Babayev - on January 12, 2000 , and others.

At the same time, during purposeful and operatively criminal investigation, as well as on the basis of incontestable proofs participation of this gang in murder of the chief of a department of Central administrative board on struggle against drugs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Azerbaijan Republic Ismailov Azer Mahmud oglu, missing on June 21, 2000 has been proved, and also to murders of the chief of a Department of Criminality - the deputy chief of Investigation's Board on grave crimes of the State Office of Public Prosecutor of the Azerbaijan Republic Aliyev Rovshan Adalat oglu on March 13, 2002, and vice-president of AFFA Huseynov Fatulla Ali oglu on June 14, 2004, which commitment is with use of fire-arms and is caused a wide social resonance and being the center of public attention.

For today citizens of the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation Kantemirov Aslanbek Chochayevich, Dabuev Moussa Bagaeyvich, the leader of a gang Haji Mamedov and 11 more members of group, including Agayev Rovshan, Mamedbekov Farhad, the senior inspector on duty of Narimanov district of the Ministry of Internal Affairs the captain of police Rahimov Eldar Amir oglu and others are arrested.

In belonging members of the armed criminal group houses and garages in a various districts of Baku , in Sumgayit , a resort complex "Garabulag" in Gusar district has been seized a large quantity of guns, explosives and other instruments of crime.

Now operatively-search actions and investigation on finding-out of all circumstances of crimes, an establishment and search of other participants of crimes on which results the public will be informed in addition proceed.

The Ministry of National Security and the State Office of Public Prosecutor of the Republic assure the public that all necessary measures for reliable protection of the rights and freedom of the person and the citizen in sphere of disclosing of crimes and realizations in practice of a principle of inevitability of punishment for the crimes will be undertaken and in the further, the operative situation will remain under the serious control.