SOCIETY
National Security Ministry arrests gang
Baku, January 19 (AZERTAC). The Azerbaijan's National Security Ministry has apprehended members of a gang which it says was planning to assassinate prominent foreigners and prepare terror acts in Baku.
Azerbaijani citizens Rasim Farail oglu Aliyev, Ali Alihamza oglu Huseynov, Balagardash Alisafa oglu Dadashov and others were found to be conspiring to kill foreign citizens working in Baku, the National Security Ministry public affairs centre told APA.
Balagardash Dadashov is living in the Iranian city of Ardabil and was already wanted on charges of banditry and kidnap.
The suspects are also charged with smuggling firearms, munitions and explosives into Azerbaijan as part of the conspiracy and to have committed other illegal acts.
The National Security Ministry gave the following account of the plot.
The National Security Ministry said it intervened before the gang could carry out the killings. Rasim Aliyev and Ali Huseynov were detained and the weapons cache found.
The National Security Ministry's Main Investigation Department is conducting an investigation under Criminal Code Articles 28.277 (preparing an assassination attempt on a public figure), 206.3.2 (the smuggling of arms, ammunition and explosives) and 228.2.1 (illegal possession or storage of arms, ammunition and explosives). Rasim Aliyev and Ali Huseynov are being kept in pre-trial custody by court decision.
The investigation is under way.