Baku, February 3 (AZERTAC). The Ministry of National Security persistently studies and analyzes the processes going on in region and the world, their possible negative results, and also the factors influencing on the conditions in republic. Expedient measures are carried out for protection of national interests and safety of the country from encroachments, internal and external threats. The public, as usual, is regularly informed on all this activities and the results.

In the information received from the public relations center of the Ministry of National Security, it is stated that as a result of the counter-intelligence measures undertaken by the Ministry in the field of combat against the international terrorism, it was exposed and rendered harmless a group of radical-religious orientation comprising citizens of the Azerbaijan Republic.

The group having links to the international terrorist network set up an illegal armed unit and planned to commit illegal actions aiming to violate socio-political stability and impede the state’s secular and democratic development.

Head of the group Azer Misirkhanov, under nickname “Abdulla”, had participated in the special trainings and operations with illegal armed units in various conflict zones. In 2001, he was detained while attempting to cross Azerbaijani border and sentenced for attempting to illegally cross the border and participating in the composition of illegal armed units. But Misirkhanov did not give up his criminal actions after imprisonment. He planned to commit larger and dangerous crimes in Azerbaijan. According to the recent reports, he crossed the territory of a foreign country to participate in the terrorist actions against antiterrorist coalition forces.

Rashid Mustafayev, Faig Jafarov, Firdovsi Guliyev, Vasif Omarov, Vusal Isayev, Mahir Allahverdiyev, Elmeddin Farajov, Asif Emikishili, Alkaram Mammadov, Rashad Nabiyev, Tural Hasanov, Jeyhun Aliyev and others committed crimes under Azer Misirkhanov’s leadership. They participated in getting, smuggling, transporting, keeping of firearms, committing terrorist actions, robberies and other crimes in Azerbaijan. Under the court’s decision, the members of the armed unit were arrested. They gave detailed testimonies about the activity, plan and intentions of the armed unit.

It was ascertained that the members of the armed unit organized hiding of Samir Mehdiyev, under nickname “Suleyman”, one of the leaders of the “Forest Brothers” armed unit, who was in search for committing terror attack in Abu Bakr Mosque in Baku on August 17, 2008. It was also found out that Azer Misirkhanov called one of the active members of the group Rashid Mustafayev to the foreign country, where he was hiding, and met with him in the rented house. Misirkhanov showed the firearms, ammunitions and other military supplies to Rashid Mustafayev and asked him to receive those supplies in Azerbaijan.

It was also found out that Azer Misirkhanov had planned to violate stability, organize terror attacks to create panic and explode Baku-Novorossiysk oil pipeline on the eve of the presidential elections in Azerbaijan. Azer Misirkhanov gave appropriate instructions to Rashid Mustafayev.

After returning to Baku in October 2008, Rashid Mustafayev commissioned another member of the group Asif Emikishili to determine the place of the oil pipelines from Azerbaijan to Russia and prepare explosives to blast them. In October 2008, Asif Emikishili came to Khachmaz region and wrongly considering big pipelines Baku-Novorossiysk oil pipeline, determined the place favorable for committing blast and informed Rashid Mustafayev.

Asif Amikishili manufactured 2 dial-work explosives using the electro-detonator and 2 kg and 500 g of plastids, and arrived in Khachmaz region in public transport in mid-October 2008. He placed the explosives on the two sides of both pipelines in the previously planned place in 500 m from the bridge across the Valvalachay River in 149 km of the Baku-Khachmaz road. A. Amikishili detonated the explosives scheduling explosions on 24.00 on that day. Then, Asif Amikishili returned to Sumgayit and informed Rashid Mustafayev about placing the explosives and they watched the mass media to hear the information about the explosion, but there was none. They understood that the explosives were not detonated. Asif Amikishili visited the area again to check it and saw that both pipelines were damaged as a result of explosion and informed Rashid Mustafayev about it.

During the investigation at site to verify Asif Amikishili’s testimony he gave to interrogators, it was found out that the exploded pipelines were situated near the residential areas in Kahchmaz region. However, the pipelines were designed not for oil transportation, but for the drinking water supply of Baku. A lot of evidences proving the crime were taken from the site. The persons, who exploded erroneously the water pipelines, but not oil, did not avoid committing horrible crime against their people and proved that they had intentions of dangerous criminals.

It was clarified that Rashid Mustafayev visited Katekh village of Balakan region for two times under order of Azer Misirkhanov and met with several persons, whose identities are defined by the investigative bodies currently. Rashid Mustafayev brought the arms and ammunitions, smuggled by those people to the Republic of Azerbaijan, to Sumgayit and hided in the garage he rented together with other member of the armed group Faig Jafarov.

Under Azer Misirkhanov’s order, Rashid Mustafayev, who continued his criminal actions, sent Faig Jafarov to Katekh village of Balakan region to receive the next part of the ammunitions smuggling to the republic later in November 2008. F. Jafarov met with the persons, whose identities are investigated, and received a large part of ammunitions and brought to Sumgayit and hided.

The members of the armed group were detained as a result of anti-terror operations on January 14 2009. A part of the ammunitions were found near Faig Jafarov’s house in Saray settlement of Absheron district.

Other part of ammunitions hided by the armed groups was also found during the inspection of the yard owned by member of the group Alkaram Mammadov in Haji Zeynalabidin Tagiyev settlement near Sumgait. The ammunitions and military equipments were found in the 1.5 m-depth well. Three plastids contained more than 5 kg explosives, known as “martyr’s belt” among the terrorists, one 200-gram TNT block, 2 PRG-7 hand-launchers and its five shells, two “Mukha” hand-launchers, seven AKS and two AKSU submachine guns, UZI and EAGLE guns, “Makarov”, “Magnum”, “Umarex”, “Sig Sauer”, Fort-14 pistols and muffler, a “Winchester” rifle, 57 full containers for the submachine guns and pistols, 60 electro-detonators, 22 remote control systems, 12 F-1, 11 RGD-5 and 5 other hand grenades, 25 grenade-detonators, 12 detonator capsules, 20 “KENWOOD” radio stations, 10 emergency flares, one dial-work for explosives, one compass and large part of different patrons and other ammunitions belonged to the armed group were found and confiscated.

The investigation found out that armed criminal group attempted to commit robbery to gain additional money and strengthen their material and technical base for realization of their intentions. Members of armed criminal group Firdovsi Guliyev, Mahir Allahverdiyev, Asif Amikishili, Vasif Omarov and Elmaddin Farajov were armed with guns and revolvers received from Azer Misirkhanov on March 28, 2007 and committed armed attack on the “Tofash” car of the workers of exchange point in Sumgait at 22.00 using radio stations for communication. Criminals aimed to take money from the car. Workers of exchange point - Ilham Amirli, Seyhun Tarverdipur and his brother policeman Galib Tarverdipur were wounded as a result of shooting. The car did not stop and escape from the site. Therefore criminals could not reach their goals.

Moreover, investigations made clear that members of armed criminal group Rashid Mustafayev, Jeyhun Aliyev, Tural Hasanov and others planned to rob the car delivering investment money owned by “Veyseloglu” Company. Rashid Mustafayev, Jeyhun Aliyev, Tural Hasanov and others were armed with revolver “Makarov” and arrived at the Company in a car “VAZ-2107” steered by Tural on October 30, 2008. The car driven by criminals followed the car owned by the company till “Parabank” in 56, Heydar Aliyev Avenue. But they did not attack because of crowd people around them and planned to realize it next day. Members of the group were re-armed on October 31, 2008 and met near the “28 May” metro station and arrived at the Company. Rashid and Jeyhun lied in ambush, Tural and others reached the site called car market in Babek Avenue in Nizami district to rob any car.

Tural Hasanov and others came up to taxi, “Mercedes”, steered by Elchin Huseynov and asked him to take them to the restaurant “Neolit”. Criminals threatened the taxi driver and took the car from him and escaped from the site. The policemen followed them at the request of Huseynov. Criminals ran away from the car near the mosque in Keshla settlement. They provided information to Rashid about the case and they refused to commit attack not depending on their will.

The National Security Ministry`s Main Investigation Department launched criminal case under the Articles 279.19 (creation of armed formations or groups, not stipulated in the legislation of the Azerbaijan Republic, and also participation in their creation and activity, supplying them with weapon, ammunition, explosives, military engineering or military equipment), 29, 214.2.1 (attempt to terrorism on preliminary arrangement by group of persons, by organized group or criminal community), 29, 214.2.3 (committed with application of fire-arms or subjects used as a weapon), 228.2.1(illegal purchase, transfer, selling, storage, transportation and carrying of fire-arms, accessories to it, supplies, explosives on preliminary arrangement by group of persons), 229.2.1(illegal manufacturing of a weapon on preliminary arrangement by group of persons), 181.2.1, 181.2.5 (robbery), 206.3.2 (smuggling on preliminary arrangement by group of persons) and 234.1 (illegal purchase or storage without a purpose of selling of narcotics or psychotropic substances in a quantity exceeding necessary for personal use) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Investigation was launched to the case to determine other members of the criminal group and bring to responsibility, on which the public will be informed.

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