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Court arrests entrepreneur accused of organizing criminal group in Russia’s south

The criminal community included former head of the Aksaisky district of the Rostov Region administration Vitaly Borzenko

ROSTOV-ON-DON, November 9. /TASS/. A court in Rostov-on-Don arrested entrepreneur Karim Babayev accused of organizing a criminal community in the southern Rostov Region, the press office of regional courts reported on Tuesday.

"The Leninsky District Court has ruled that Karim Babayev accused of crimes stipulated under part 1 of article 210, part 4 of article 159, points ‘a’ and ‘b’ of part 2, article 171, points ‘a’ and ‘b’ of part 4, article 174.1 of Russia’s Criminal Code be remanded into custody for a term of two months following his detention as a measure of restraint," the statement says.

According to investigators, Babayev led a criminal group active in the Aksaisky district of the Rostov Region. The criminal community also included former head of the district’s administration Vitaly Borzenko.

A source in the region’s law-enforcement agencies told TASS earlier on Tuesday that police in the southern Rostov Region had apprehended entrepreneur Karim Babayev who was on a wanted list and was suspected of organizing a criminal community.

A local court of law earlier issued an arrest warrant for several suspects who, as investigators believe, participated in the criminal community’s activities. As a source told TASS, all the arrested individuals are linked with the activity of large wholesale marketplaces in the Aksaisky district shut down by a court order.

On April 27, police carried out a large-scale inspection of marketplaces in the Aksaisky district of the Rostov Region. As a source told TASS, about 3,500 police officers carried out raids to check information on criminal gangs active at marketplaces and suspected of smuggling and illegal trade. Following the inspections, the police restricted access to the local marketplaces. It was later reported that the activity of trade outlets had been suspended by a court order.