Eleven people have been arrested in Baku’s Khatai district over a killing at a restaurant, with prosecutors and police saying the group had organized a criminal gang to extort money and inflict serious harm using weapons.
Eleven people suspected of belonging to a criminal organization have been arrested in Baku’s Khatai district following a killing that investigators say was planned in advance. Among those detained is Ahmad Alizade, according to a joint statement from the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The killing took place around 00:10 on October 23 at a restaurant on General Shikhlinski Street in Khatai district. A 43-year-old man, identified as C. Miraghayev, died from stab wounds sustained in the attack.
A joint investigative team set up by the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Internal Affairs established that the crime had been premeditated and identified those allegedly behind it. Those arrested include Ramil Dadashov, Eldar Eldarov, Ahmad Alizade, Ismayil Kazimov, Hasan Zulfugarov, Farid Ayyublu and Khayyam Safikhanov, all of whom had prior convictions, as well as Mikayil Ismayilov, Kamran Afandiyev, Elvin Safarov and Elmar Nuriyev.
How the gang allegedly operated
Investigators say the detained men lived by the rules of the criminal underworld and were constantly engaged in illegal activity. They allegedly carried out criminal investigations of their own and used threats to extort money from victims.
According to the statement, members of the group organized themselves to gain influence within criminal circles and to brutally punish, using firearms and bladed weapons, anyone who failed to comply with their demands.
Investigation ongoing
A criminal case has been opened under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code. Investigators are continuing operational and investigative measures to determine the specific role each detainee played in the killing, as well as other activities and connections linked to the criminal group.
