At the Gerzel checkpoint in Dagestan, an incident unfolded involving Alikhan Tsakaev, the head of Chechnya’s Ministry of Emergencies. He reportedly insulted and threatened police officers who detained him while intoxicated, according to a Telegram channel linked to sources in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
According to the report, a police officer noted that Tsakaev’s jeep drew attention by driving through oncoming traffic. He was stopped, yet after a minor clash with the inspector, the minister’s vehicle suddenly accelerated, moving toward the officers. The situation escalated quickly, leading to Tsakaev being detained by law enforcement while drunk and without his documents. A hedgehog, a device used to prevent a vehicle from moving, was reportedly employed during the stop. The source claims that Tsakaev insulted the officers and threatened them with rape before being removed from the scene. Chechen traffic police subsequently arrived, and, according to the account, tried to calm the general down. Fighters from the Russian National Guard in Chechnya then arrived, reportedly pressuring the officers to surrender Tsakaev to them under threat of force. As the situation unfolded, Tsakaev allegedly promised to bring the police to their knees before leaving in a car accompanied by security personnel.
The detention took place on April 14 at the Gerzel checkpoint. Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov criticized the incident as a “shameful provocation” and demanded that the police officers who detained the minister be dismissed with strong consequences. Dagestan’s chief, Sergei Melikov, responded by noting that the checkpoint operates under federal authority and is not under Dagestan law enforcement jurisdiction. He called for a careful, detailed analysis of the events to come. The exchange underscored tensions between regional authorities and federal structures in handling high-ranking officials in such cases.
Earlier reports claimed that Chechen security personnel had assaulted the officers who detained Tsakaev. An investigation into the arrest of the Chechen Ministry of Emergency Situations head was reportedly completed, with authorities reviewing the actions that led to the detention and the subsequent handling of the incident. The unfolding narrative raised questions about accountability, jurisdiction, and the appropriate response when high-ranking officials are involved in traffic-related misconduct.
In the public discourse that followed, observers emphasized the need for transparent, independent inquiries to ensure that all parties are treated equally under the law. The situation highlighted the complexities of policing when political influence intersects with law enforcement duties, and it sparked discussions about how such incidents should be documented, communicated, and resolved moving forward. Source: Baza via Telegram.