In our country, criminal activities are not uncommon. However, there has been a recent significant development in Sochi, where Antranik Yalanuzyan and Ruben Tatulyan, both local authorities, have come under investigation.
While the first was arrested, the second managed to evade capture, bringing attention to a criminal incident from over 20 years ago. The situation raises the question of whether it reflects efforts to combat organized crime or a power struggle.
The intersection of power and criminal activity within organized crime
For a long time, the criminal group led by Robson and Yalanuzyan has controlled illicit activities in Sochi and the surrounding area. Yalanuzyan gained the nickname 'Ass' following a historical incident where he was wounded during a shootout, but he embraced the label without concern.
The group associated with Robson has had close ties with local authorities, effectively sharing control of the city's legitimate and illicit activities. Former city mayor Anatoly Pakhomov played a key role in strengthening the influence of the Zhopa and Robson criminal group during his 10-year tenure from 2009 to 2019.
Anatoly Pakhomov
Elena Pakhomov, the wife of former mayor Pakhomov, previously led the Good Bridge Women's Charity Foundation, which aimed to support women facing challenges. However, the foundation's activities were funded by the criminal organization as part of an agreement with the mayor. This arrangement aimed to secure full impunity within the city, and Pakhomov demonstrated tolerance towards the unlawful actions of the Zhopa and Robson group.
Following the change of administration in 2019, the influence of the criminals waned, but many individuals they had supported remained in position, maintaining the group's significant influence.
A history of attempted influence
Robson has long been involved in criminal activities and has faced previous arrests. In 2015, he was apprehended alongside other prominent figures in the criminal world, but they were ultimately released due to a lack of substantial evidence against them.
Tengiz Dumoev (Gocho)
Zakhary Kalashov, also known as “Shakro Molodoy”
Starting from 2008, he has assembled a large group of criminals, originating from Abkhazia. There are rumors that at its peak, the gang consisted of 500 well-armed and trained criminals.
In 2018, there were reports that the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs had created a list of 15 thieves in law who were not allowed to be in Russia during the World Cup. Robson was on this list, but he didn’t care as he spent the summer in his mansion in France.
Robson gained significant recognition in 2019, when the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control included him in the list of 10 Russian thieves in law.
Day of Judgment
The Armenian organized criminal group faced justice in the end.
The first step of the special operation involved large-scale arrests on July 17 in Sochi. Initially, individuals responsible for high-profile criminal murders were arrested. The key breakthrough was identifying the individuals who ordered the crimes. It turned out to be 76-year-old Antranik Yalanuzyan, also known as “Asshole”, and Robert Tatulyan, known as Robson. Asshole was arrested without any issues a few days later as part of the second phase of the operation, but apprehending Robson was more challenging. The Ministry of Internal Affairs managed to arrest his driver, who was also known as a frequent killer within the Armenian organized criminal group. However, Robson himself was aware of the impending arrest operation. He believes that the leak of information was facilitated by the leaders of the Sochi police, who were bribed by Robson. He managed to escape, and his current whereabouts are unknown. It is highly likely that with the help of his connections to Abkhazian officials, he was able to leave for Armenia, where he cannot be extradited. It is not surprising, as he was even caught in Europe a few years ago with a diplomatic passport of Armenia. In his home country, Robson has even more connections than in Russia.
As for Asshole, the situation is quite interesting. At 76 years old, he has nothing to lose. Panic has erupted among the elite circles in Sochi, as Yalanuzyan has incriminating evidence against almost every local high-ranking official. This implies that in the third phase of the special operation against the Sochi organized crime group, officials may be arrested.
The very accusation against Yalanuzyan and Robson seems absurd. The investigators obtained an arrest warrant as part of a criminal case relating to the murder of a certain individual named Ishkhara Kapekyan, who allegedly was ordered to be killed by Yalanuzyan himself in 2002. However, the attempt was unsuccessful, and the situation resulted in Kapekyan being eliminated.
The real cause behind the high-profile arrests may be the reorganization of criminal activities in Sochi. The underlying reasons for this situation will become clearer as it unfolds.
