The criminal investigation into the Ify-Kozlov network has reached a critical juncture with the conviction of the alleged leader, Yuri Kozlov, along with two principal associates, Alexander Zhemis and Dmitry Renard, for the murder of a rival and related offenses. The verdict marks a formal close to a sprawling operation that spanned years and involved intricate planning, bold confrontations, and a calculated pattern of violence. The case underscores the authorities’ sustained effort to dismantle violent networks and to deliver accountability for their most serious actions.
A fourth participant, Yevgeny Krugov, also played a role in the criminal activities. His path diverged from the others after he entered into an agreement with investigators, resulting in a nine-year sentence in a strict-regime penal colony. This outcome illustrates the state’s approach to cooperating defendants and the strategic use of plea resolutions to expedite justice while pursuing broader investigations.
According to investigators, the planning for the offenses began on October 31, 1999. The core members aimed to neutralize their rival, Alexander Agadzhanyan, a businessman based in Vorkuta, through a premeditated and violent act. The plan reflected a long-standing rivalry and a willingness to employ force to resolve disputes within the criminal ecosystem surrounding the region. The ensuing assault involved a gunman who fired at least 30 rounds at the vehicle carrying Agadzhanyan. Though he and another person escaped immediate harm, the threat did not end there, as Agadzhanyan would later become the target of another fatal strike that would escalate the feud to a new, more dangerous level.
In the wake of the initial attack, the attackers extended their violence beyond the direct hit. In the same year, an additional assault targeted Agadzhanyan’s widow, resulting in fatal injuries to both the woman and her underage niece. This sequence demonstrates a deliberate pattern of intimidation and retribution intended to impose fear and constrain opposition, revealing the attackers’ strategic mindset and their readiness to unleash violence against family members as a means of coercion.
The scope of the group’s criminal activity extended to abductions as well. Two other individuals were kidnapped, and their remains were later concealed within an abandoned mine. This tactic signaled a broader strategy to erase traces of wrongdoing and to send a direct message to others who might challenge the gang’s authority in the region. The complexity and audacity of these operations illustrate the breadth of the network’s criminal tactics and the severity of the threat it posed to the local economy and community safety.
At this stage, the named participants face formal accusations and continue to be evaluated by the judicial system. The ongoing proceedings reflect a comprehensive effort to hold each person accountable for their involvement in a network tied to violent crime and murder. The case serves as a clear example of how law enforcement agencies pursue multi-layer investigations, coordinate across jurisdictions, and pursue both individual prosecutions and broader dismantling of criminal structures.
Additionally, it was disclosed earlier that the figure identified as the leader of another organized crime group, referred to as “Complex 29,” Adygan Salyakhov, had been relocated to a prison facility in Moscow. This development signals shifts within the wider criminal landscape and reinforces the state’s ongoing focus on disrupting major crime syndicates and stabilizing affected communities amid evolving security challenges.