Wild-leek picker killed in submountain Chechnya

Chechnya law enforcement agencies investigate the murder of a 49-year-old resident of the Martan-Chu village, Achkhoi-Martan district, who was captured by armed persons while picking up wild leek in the forest and later found killed in the mountain forest area several kilometres from the village.

"In the morning of March 14, the resident of the Martan-Chu village, together with his two acquaintances, went to the forest for picking up wild leek where they met two armed men wearing military uniforms, who wanted them to show their documents. Having checked their passports, the unknown persons took one of them along and ordered the other two to return home," related a source in the republic's law enforcement agencies to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The village residents had been waiting for their friend till late evening and, having returned to the village, reported the incident to his relatives. The next morning, the relatives of the missing person went to look for him and found his body with a bullet wound in the head. A criminal case was initiated on the incident.

Our interlocutor thinks that the Martan-Chu village resident was killed by the militants. In his opinion, the man was executed because his close relative is an officer of the republic's MIA.

Picking up wild leek (wild garlic) is the main source of income for the residents of submountain and mountain areas of Chechnya in winter. Wild leek is in great demand in Chechnya. During the initial period, at the end of January, its market price goes up to 150 roubles per kilogram. At the moment, one can buy one kilo of wild garlic for 50 roubles.