Moscow police detained Abkhazia-born criminal authority Georgy Zarandia, known as Gia Galsky, who allegedly controlled apartment-theft and bag-snatching groups in the capital.[1] The Central Federal District police headquarters identified him as a previously convicted leader of the criminal milieu and a so-called thief in law.[1] Police said Zarandia was born in 1979 in Nabakevi village in Abkhazia’s Galsky district and was living in Moscow without a fixed residence.[1] The police account was conveyed to Interfax by the press service of the Main Directorate of the Interior Ministry for the Central Federal District.[1]
During the detention he presented officers with a forged passport in the name of Yury Krasnov.[1] A personal search during the detention seized 4 grams of hashish from him, police said.[1] Police said Zarandia had held thief-in-law status for only a short time after allegedly being crowned in summer 2011.[1]
According to operative information, his crowning took place in Kaluga Oblast with the participation of Gela and Gizo Kordava, Vladimir Zhurakovsky known as Vova Pukhly, Merab Mzarelua and Roland Gegechkori.[1] Police said he controlled criminal groups engaged in apartment burglaries and bag-snatching in Moscow.[1]
