Dec 7, 2010

Georgian Police arrested terrorists recruited by a Russian military officer

TBILISI, GEORGIA - Georgian Police arrested six persons suspected of being behind series of explosions in Tbilisi and in western region of the country in last few months, the Georgian Interior Ministry said.

Police said one of the key suspects was acting under the instructions of Abkhaz-based Russian military officer. The Interior Ministry said that the arrest were carried out on December 4.

Two explosions in separate locations of the capital city left one woman dead overnight on November 28.

The Interior Ministry said that the same group of suspects was behind the explosion close to the U.S. embassy in Tbilisi on September 22 and two explosions near Tbilisi Central Railway Station on October 21. The group, the ministry said, was behind a failed attempt of explosion at a railway bridge in Khobi district of western region of Samegrelo in October.

According to the Interior Ministry, one of the arrested persons, who is suspected of carrying out the explosions, is a resident of Gali district in breakaway Abkhazia Gogita Arkania.

Eka Zguladze, the Georgian deputy interior minister, who described the explosions as "terrorist acts", said that Arkania was recruited by a Russian military officer, Yevgeny Borisov, serving in breakaway Abkhazia and under the threat against his family forced Arkania to carry out series of explosions.

The ministry said that police found in a house of Arkania’s one of the suspected accomplices “13 explosive devices, including 9 cans filled with hexogen, out of which four had nails inside and one contained bullets.”

“In total, 10 kilograms of hexogen were found,” the Interior Ministry said.

It said that two suspects, wanted in connection to the same case, “are hiding in Russian occupied Gali district.”

“We are ready to cooperate with any party and we hope that in case of a constructive approach by relevant Russian agencies we will be able to question others involved in the case,” Eka Zguladze said.