Georgian police conducted a special operation in Paris
The MIA also spoke about the participation of their employees in the investigation against the Georgian thieves in law, who still lived in Paris. There during a joint operation by French and Georgian policemen were arrested eight people from the Caucasus country suspected of theft. However, as it became known””, the French investigating authorities are not sure that the guilt of all those arrested will be able to prove. In case of failure of the Georgians deported to their homeland, where the prison they are almost guaranteed according to the Georgian police, these people were “thieves ‘ traditions” and held “common Fund”, that in itself is a crime in Georgia. Experts see in business and political dimension — in cooperation with the European security forces, the Georgian authorities are trying to preserve for his country the visa-free regime.
Deputy Director of the Department of Central criminal police David Latsabidze at today’s briefing said that the Georgian police took part in the special operation on detention of criminals in France.
Without naming any names and dates, Mr. Latsabidze said that in a joint operation with French colleagues “in Paris arrested eight members of a criminal group operating in France.”
The French side holds prisoner numerous group of theft and possession of stolen things. While in Georgia they impute quite another part 1 of article 223 of the Criminal code of Georgia, which sounds like “membership in the thieves ‘world”. This article was adopted in 2006 at the initiative of the then President Mikheil Saakashvili, it allows you to condemn a person not for a specific crime, but merely for the adherence to the “thieves ‘ traditions”, dealing with thieves, organizing “meetings” and collecting “common Fund”.
In particular, as stated by Mr. Latsabidze arrested “had a relationship” with the Georgian thieves in law, which French police arrested during a large-scale pan-European operations in November 2017. During a search of the detainees taken in Paris, probably stolen goods, credit cards, gold jewelry and drugs. “Part of the money received from the sale of stolen things criminals gave to replenish the “common Fund” is”, — said the Deputy head of the criminal police, making it clear that this action in itself falls under article 223 of the Georgian Criminal code. According to him, the Georgian interior Ministry plans to “strengthen the institution of the police attaché in the European countries” to strengthen the joint struggle against the Georgian criminals, “business in Europe”.
The greatest interest the statement of the Georgian interior Ministry called a reference to the participation in the Paris operation of the Georgian police.
As said “Kommersant” the former head of the information analytical Department of MIA Shota Utiashvili, the Georgian police officers directly involved in the operation to arrest persons on the territory of the European Union is absolutely excluded.
“It is possible that this refers not to the procedure of arrest, which is held exclusively by French security forces, and the subsequent identification and interrogation of detainees in the native language”, — said Mr. Utiashvili. According to the interlocutor of “Kommersant”, the Georgian criminal authorities certainly were guilty only of crimes committed in France and other European countries, theft and possession of stolen property. “Our law against thieves in the law does not apply in France, and the French in any case could not arrest anyone they presenting only “following the thieves ‘traditions”,” — said the interlocutor of Kommersant.
However, according to “Kommersant”, the French side not sure I’ll be able to prove the charges against all eight Georgians.
In this case, the unspoken agreement with the Georgian authorities, criminal authorities, living illegally in France will be deported to his homeland, and in Georgia, they are already condemned according to the article, adopted in 2006. Perhaps in deportation proceedings will involve the same Georgian police, who have already worked in Paris, albeit only on the procedures for identification and questioning.
The Georgian government has a strong incentive to help the Europeans in the fight against crime: the influx of criminals from Georgia became one of the main arguments of several European politicians have openly demanding suspension of visa-free regime for Georgian citizens.