How FSB/GRU supposedly "rogue" operations carry out killings (a disturbing Russian article) - part 1

Novaya Gazeta ^ | 01/11/2007 | Igor Korolkov

[JadeEmperor]

SPARE ORGANS

How secret services have created parallel structures for carrying out extrajudicial sentences.

How murders are carried out in the interests of the state. A secret instruction.

After the death of Alexander Litvinenko in London something seemed to change in Russia. Not everyone has formulated exactly what, but everyone has felt on order of their own "gut feelings" something, which makes the insides tense in anticipation of some unknown danger.

Although our state has nothing to do with this murder. So say the officials. But somehow we don't believe them. Perhaps, one of the reasons for this is we remember, how not that long ago the same officials told the whole world: the Russian embassy employees, who were arrested in Quatar have nothing to do with the murder of the former president of Chechnia, Zelimkhan Yandarbiev

But then it turned out that the entire process of rigging his car with explosives by the diplomats was caught on tape.

Quite possible, the murder of Litvinenko was the proverbial last drop that made the cup of our knowledge run over and made us understand something about our country, which makes us feel akin to being naked in open space.

A rather important stroke was added to the large life experience of Russians, which overlays the historical experience as well (By now we all know who ordered to kill the Russian politician Trotsky, Bulgarian writer Markov, and Ukrainian nationalist Bandera).

The Werevolves of GRU

But what kind of life experience are we talking about? Everyone has their own. I wish to tell about my own, which I myself had encountered and on which my own doubts and fears are founded. In 1995 I was writing an article about the "Larionov brothers gang", which was terrorizing Vladivostok in the early 90's. The gang had just been uncovered. The investigation was led by the General Prosecutor's office. It turned out that the gang was highly unusual. It was more reminiscent of a military unit with a well defined organizational structure, strict hierarchy and iron discipline. It included former VDV (airborne troops) military and political record servicemen, an accomplished airborne officer and even one of the best staff members of the local prosecutor's office. The members of the gang themselves did not refer to it as a "gang". They called it "The System" and modeled it after the GRU "Aquarium", described in a book by a defector and a former Soviet GRU officer Victor (Rezun) Suvorov. The System was equipped with modern means of communication and all kinds of eavesdropping and monitoring equipment - they were able to tap phones, to intercept conversations through the walls and windows; it even had its own encryption equipment to secure their own communications. They were very well armed and had access to dozens of safe houses. Using their well spread network of agents The System gathered information about key figures of the underworld, businessmen and staff of the government organization. The gang killed. Its victims consisted of the underworld criminal leaders and businessmen connected to the underworld. During those operations often happend what the law enforcement call "excessive force" - along with the intended targets random bystanders were killed. It was found out that the gang was handled by two colonels of the GRU: an active head of the human intelligence directorate of the Pacific Fleet, Col. Zubov and former head of the analytical department of the same intelligence unit, Col. Poluboyarinov Poluboyarinov also recruited members of the gang and directed the operations.

The System acted brazenly and boldly. After each crime, some invisible force, it seemed, stalled the investigation, and moved out of danger the criminals, who were able to be discovered by police operatives. One of those, who's professional work put the very existence of the gang at risk, was Col. Sliantsev, the head of Vladivostok GUVD (police). It was then that the System decided to kill Sliantsev. The operation was given to a former member of the Soviet Navy Special Forces and was codenamed "Barracuda".

During one of our meetings Sliantsev had told me that while monitoring phone conversations of the gang members he was able do discover who was really behind The System. "Who is it?" - I was curious. "I can't tell you" - said the colonel - "You can't even begin to imagine the level of these people."

Today I'm certain - the colonel meant GRU.

So what kind of gang was it, formed out of exemplary military members, well equipped and working under the patronage of active officers from the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GRU) of the Russian Federation? The General Prosecutors Office could not answer that question. More likely, it didn't even try to answer it, because it wouldn't be allowed to.

Both colonels were labeled "werevolves". Zubov was fired from the Navy and Poluboyarinov was mysteriously killed. The Larionov brothers were eliminated as well. The younger Larionov, who was officially the leader of the gang died inside his cell when he realized he was betrayed and vowed to tell the mass media everything he knew about the gang ties to the GRU. Even his lawyer was killed as she prepared the text of the article.

About the same time in Vladivostok and Nakhodka there was another gang, the so called "Waps gang" - a bunch of hardened criminals were released from prisons on parole. They had been armed and told to wipe out the supposed "Chechen mafia", which actually did not exist in Nakhodka. The gang simply was used to redistribute property. But then it got out of control and started killing not only those, who were pointed out by their puppet masters, but everyone who they considered necessary for their own benefit as well.

A local FSB officer, who discovered that the gang was actually formed by the Main Directorate of Fighting Organized Crime (GUBOP) in MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs) of Russia was killed supposedly by accident by police. It was found out, that the gang was acting not only on behalf of MVD but also with support from the local authorities. The investigator from the prosecutor's office, who was leading the "Waps gang" investigation, was most likely very afraid of those who stood behind the gang, as I understood from our meetings. It was probably why he was a heavy drinker at the time.

(End of Part 1, to be continued...)

[nw_arizona_granny]

Laughing, as I say yes, I found it yesterday.

I also posted from your site here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/1754972/posts?page=3258#3258

It will take me the rest of my life to read all that you have on your site, I am glad you picked up the story on taping the babies mouths.

I doubt that I have found anything that you have missed, but you will find a large variety of subjects on the above thread.

I do hope that it was OK, that I borrowed your articles, if not, then say so and I will ask for them to be removed.

In checking my forum posts, for other messages, such as yours, I saw your link and planned on going there next, often real life is stranger than fiction.

It is indeed a small world, and please allow me to welcome you to Free Republic, your knowledge will be valuable to all of us.

Welcome and feel free to join in with your comments on anything that I find and post.

granny