Power agents tried to kidnap resident of Ingushetia for ransom, said MIA source

On May 12 in Nazran, Adam Moshkhoev, a local resident and an entrepreneur, was kidnapped by employees of the Ingush Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA). They wanted to receive ransom for him, said a source from the MIA, who preferred to remain anonymous. The local authorities deny this information.

Adam Moshkhoev was driving his car with his elder brother Boris, when they were stopped by agents from the Centre to Combat Extremism of the Ingush MIA, said the source of the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The power agents pursued the Moshkhoevs in four cars - two black Lada Prioras and two VAZ-2114 cars - a white and a silver ones. All these cars were without license plates. At detention, the power agents violently beat Adam Moshkhoev and forced him into one of their cars, said the source.

Further, according to eyewitnesses, the cars turned around and headed towards North Ossetia. Boris Moshkhoev called the GUVD (City Interior Department) of Nazran, and the pursuit of the cars with kidnappers was launched.

In the area of the Chermen post on the border of Ingushetia and North Ossetia, the kidnappers were stopped by Nazran policemen. Altogether, according to the source, there were 15 power agents in the cars. All of them, together with the kidnapped Moshkhoev, were taken to the GUVD of Nazran. There, according to the source, a list of their names and ranks was compiled.

A short time later, Ahmed Katiev, the Secretary of the republic's Security Council, arrived there. However, after a brief inquiry, all of them, including Moshkhoev, were set free.

Moshkhoev was not explained why force had been applied to him. He and his family decided not to move claims to law enforcement bodies, fearing for their own safety.

According to the source from the MIA, this time the attempted kidnapping, undertaken probably with the aim to extort ransom, was prevented.

This story, according to the source, was confirmed by the words of local residents, who witnessed the incident. According to their story, the cars, in which Moshkhoev was taken away, had been earlier noticed in the abductions of Ruslan Khautiev, an employee of the "Rossselkhozbank", and residents of Ingushetia Timur Kodzoev and Ilez Gorchkhanov.

With a request to clarify the situation, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent addressed Movsar Tambiev, head of the Nazran GUVD.

"I don't confirm the information about Moshkhoev's kidnapping. He was officially delivered to the Nazran GUVD in the evening on May 12. Certain operative actions were conducted with him; then, he was allowed to go home. There was no attempt of kidnapping. Now, many people here like to talk about kidnappings; but this is not always true. Moshkhoev was fingerprinted, photographed and interrogated. Nobody beat him. I have the number of his mobile phone; and if necessary, we'll summon him," said Movsar Tambiev.

However, he did not explain what exactly Moshkhoev was suspected of and what the reasons for his detention were. Also, he refused to tell the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent the names of the power agents who had detained Moshkhoev. "The opposition often tells unfair things about me, including in the press. This is not worth believing," added Tambiev.

Ahmed Katiev, the Secretary of the Security Council of Ingushetia, also did not deny the fact of Moshkhoev's delivery to the GUVD.

"There was no kidnapping; this word is completely inappropriate here. Most likely, there was some conflict between the Moshkhoev brothers and law enforcers. As a result of consideration at the GUVD the conflict was settled, and all the persons were released. According to my data, there is no check in respect of Moshkhoev underway. I know their family very well. As for the cars, in which Adam was taken away, I don't know that they had figured somewhere else. There were Lada Prioras there, but there are very many cars of this model in the republic. Eyewitnesses could mix them up," said Katiev.

The Moshkhoev family refused to comment on the situation for security reasons.