The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia has charged 6 individuals with membership in a “thieves’ underworld”, support for the activities of a “thieves’ underworld”, and solicitation of a member of a “thieves’ underworld”.

An investigation conducted by the Imereti Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia revealed that members of the “criminal underworld”, together with a person accused of supporting the activities of the “criminal underworld”, actively participated in the management and organization of the “criminal underworld” through the use of “criminal underworld negotiations”, their own criminal influence and other illegal actions. The decisions made as a result of the illegal “criminal underworld negotiations” were aimed at strengthening the power and criminal influence of the accused, obtaining benefits and advantages.

Law enforcement officers arrested 4 people, 1 person was charged in absentia, and 1 person was taken to a penitentiary institution.

The defendants were charged under Article 223 Prima, Part 1 (membership of a “criminal underworld”), Article 223 Tertia, Part 2 (supporting the activities of a “criminal underworld”), and Article 223 Quarta, Part 1 (appealing to a member of a “criminal underworld”) of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which provides for up to 10 years of imprisonment as a form and measure of punishment.

Based on the prosecutor’s motion, the court has already sentenced the defendants to imprisonment as a preventive measure.