SIMFEROPOL, April 18. /TASS/. Mikhail Maurov, who founded a cell of the neo-Nazi group White Suit in Crimea, has fled to Georgia as he feared criminal prosecution, a source in one of the law-enforcement agencies told TASS.

Twelve members of the group were detained in Crimea on April 16 and 17. Seized from their places of residence were bladed weapons and small arms, ammunition, extremist literature, and nationalist paraphernalia.

"The founder of the Crimean cell of the White Suit was 24-year-old Mikhail Maurov. He feared criminal prosecution after the leaders of the cell went on trial, so he left for the territory of Georgia," the source said.

According to the law enforcement official, Maurov was ordered by a handler from the armed forces of Ukraine named Andrey to form a unit of nationalists in Crimea and send it to Ukraine to take part in hostilities against Russia.

"Maurov conducted ideological indoctrination of the members of his cell, setting them up to carry out acts of violence against immigrants and law enforcement officers. He raised funds to support convicted right-wing radicals who are serving sentences for committing extremist and terrorist crimes," the source said.

The law enforcement official said Maurov organized training sessions for members of the group on tactical and physical training, knife and hand-to-hand combat, and making Molotov cocktails.

"To disguise his radical actions, Maurov actively used the Russian national flag to pass the elements of combat training as activities for the benefit of Russia," the source said.

According to the official, the investigation established that Maurov planned to travel to Ukraine to join the ranks of a right-wing Ukrainian organization called the Freedom of Russia Legion (designated as a terrorist group and banned in Russia).