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Charges pressed against suspected plotter of Dagestan minister’s kidnapping

A 57-year-old resident of Makhachkala was charged with kidnapping and extortion

MAKHACHKALA, August 4. /TASS/. A resident of Dagestan was charged with organizing the kidnapping of a minister of the North Caucasus republic, a spokesman for the Dagestan Investigation Committee department told TASS.

"Charges were laid against a 57-year-old resident of Makhachkala, who organized the kidnapping of the Dagestani minister of construction, architecture and municipal engineering," the spokesman said, adding that the man faces charges of kidnap and large-scale extortion.

According to the source, the suspect started plotting the crime in February.

"In order to put his criminal scheme in practice, he designed a preliminary plan of the kidnap and found perpetrators," the spokesman added.

The Dagestani minister of construction, architecture and municipal engineering, 58-year-old Ibragim Kazibekov, was abducted by gunmen in Makhachkala on July 20. The official’s captors initially demanded a ransom of 100 mln rubles, but later they reduced this sum to 70 mln rubles [$1.2 mln] during negotiations. The minister was released in a sting operation the next day, when his abductors were receiving a part of the demanded sum - 30 mln rubles ($500,000).

Criminal charges of kidnapping, large-scale extortion and weapons trafficking have been initiated against the suspects in custody.

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