Batumi and Tbilisi, Georgia: The counterterrorist centre of the State Security Service recovered several units of special explosive devices and a large number of explosives during operation search and investigation operations.
Within the scope of the investigation, based on preliminary operational information, two units of electric car batteries were removed by the counterterrorist centre employees after crashing a specific vehicle. Existing batteries were used as containers.
In total, six units of special explosive devices were placed in both of them. Explosive devices and substances were removed from the mentioned containers by a special extraction team, and they were sent to the Expert-Criminalist Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for examination.
To provide secret investigation and operational measures, the following containers got the first visual face. It was returned as millages in the package mentioned above so that the concealed investigations were not revealed to the customers and the performers.
The post-delivery process of the parcel was, of course, controlled by the staff of the counterterrorist centre. The primary purpose of these investigations was to identify the suspects and additional persons who may have been involved in the transportation of the said cargo, as well as to determine the route of the movement of the explosive devices and the final purposes of their use.
Explosive devices have been found to contain military-made plastic explosive C-4, which electric detonators and special timers can activate. The total weight of the explosive is 14 kg. The containers also contained six detonator units and six unique keys. All six individual boxes of the explosive device had as many electronic timers for the launch, which already documented the launch time.
A preliminary study of the recovered devices indicated that all six devices were manufactured by a high-level specialist and accounted for a wide range of damage. Operating such a device in crowded places has caused significant damage to infrastructure and widespread casualties. The power charge of the mentioned substance is much greater than the throttle charge.
As a result of the complex actions carried out by the Counterterrorist Center, based on the testimony of interviewed witnesses and extracted audio files, it is established that the mentioned explosive devices and substance were brought to Georgia from the Ukrainian city of Odesa through Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey on January 19 this year through the checkpoint “Sarfi” is owned by a Ukrainian citizen Abby with a minivan type car and was planning her Extradition to the Russian Federation, specifically in the city of Voronezh, through the checkpoint “Daryal”.
Later, the decision was changed by the client’s order, and the persons involved in the process tried to remove one of the containers containing three explosives from the country from the mentioned point. The second container, with three explosive devices, was left in Tbilisi at a specific address.
The mentioned message was stopped and removed by the staff of the counterterrorist centre when it was supposed to cross the Georgia-Russian state border from Georgia.
As a result of operational search and investigation operations carried out by the State Security Service, it has been found that, in importing these explosive devices into Georgia, moving throughout the country, in transit of one of the containers to the Russian Federation, and in placing the second in the capital, seven citizens of Georgia, 3 of Ukraine and 2 of Armenia were involved.
Ukrainian citizen organized the process mentioned in the case, Andrei Sharashidze, a candidate for Odesa district local Rada Kyiv district deputy party “People’s Servant”, originally from Batumi. The mentioned person was actively supervising the movement of the aforementioned explosive devices from outside Georgia.
The investigation also found that the persons mentioned above, except for Sharashidze, probably needed to discover the explosive devices and capsule detonators stored in the car batteries.
There are active investigations and operatives to obtain visuals of criminal activities, prepare special explosive devices, locate travel routes and final destinations, identify attack objects and retrieve visuals.
As for the three units of explosive devices left in Tbilisi, the ongoing investigation will determine whether they were meant to be transported to Russia or remained to be put into operation in Georgia.
However, the details of this case and the factual situation give grounds for suspicion that the use of Georgian territory and the extensive involvement of Georgian citizens in this whole process served to create the idea that terrorist acts carried out in Georgia or outside Georgia would be blamed for both planning and implementation.
In connection with this fact, the Counterterrorist Center of the State Security Service is investigating under Article 236 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Georgia, which means unlawful purchase and storage of explosives and explosive devices.
The mentioned crime involves imprisonment for three to six years. However, the investigation may determine the qualification, and the investigation may also continue under articles 18-323, which means the preparation of a terrorist act. The mentioned crime involves imprisonment from ten to fifteen years.
They thank the Prosecutor General’s Office of Georgia and the Ministry of Internal Affairs for their assistance in the complex events of this case.
