Solntsevo group (the heyday of which dated back to 1995) started its activities in the Czech Republic in the early 1990s. According to available information, the Czech Republic was chosen as the site of the organization of its business activities. Mikhailov told Mogilevich (1) to pay U.S. $ 5 million to the overall security of Solncevo group 81. Perhaps Mogilevich used the profit of the company "Magneks" (Magnex) for his own needs 82. In addition, Mogilevich had some problems with the property "v Holub" (V Holubu) and its management.

 

(1)Mogilevich , the criminal "authority" who controlled number of gangs in the Ukraine. He worked for the "Solntsevo" criminal group. He was the employee of Mikhailov .83

The first meeting of the leaders and members of the Solntsevo, including Mogilevich, was held in February 1995,then followed a meeting attended by top representatives of Russian organized crime in May 1995 .It was supposed to discuss the question of the further division of territories (newly opened routes for smuggling gold and jewelry, the new route for smuggling cocaine from South America to Moscow and heroin from CIS countries to Western Europe and the United States.). The police received the information that Mogilevich should be murdered during this meeting84.

 

After the meeting, held in May 1995 in a restaurant "v Holub," and a police raid of the Czech Republic, Semyon Mogilevich, his deputy Alexey Alexandrov, Sergey Mikhailov and Viktor Averin and about 12 employees of "v Holub" were rejected for the next 10 years (until 2005) to enter the territory of the Czech Republic. "Legal" Solntsevo activities in the Czech Republic ended. Czech business of Mogilevich was paralyzed. However, its activity was controlled by Mogilevich in Budapest, Hungary, with the help of other members of the group remaining in the country85.

Then , in October 1996, Swedish authorities arrested Mikhailov, "Adjacent" of Mikhailov Arnold Tamm, went from Moscow to Geneva to monitor the organization of operations, as Mikhailov was imprisoned. Together with Viktor Averin, they used the office of Mogilevich in Budapest in order to direct the operations of the Solntsevo until Mikhailov was waiting for trial in Swedish jail 86 .

On July 22, 1999 Mr. Anatoly Katrych filed a petition to lift the ban on his entry to the Czech Republic, but was refused. In January 2000, the Interpol in Moscow sent to the Czech authorities the information that Mikhailov, Mogilevich and AVERIN were planning to go to the Czech Republic. According to their plan, they intended to pay to a certain person, for the removing of their names from the database of undesirable persons. Peter Gorbatykh was due to contact this person.

 

 

The structure of the Solntsevo includes several groups that operate in Austria, Belgium, Great Britain, Hungary, Israel, Liechtenstein, Cyprus, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama and The USA87.

According to the Central Bureau of Interpol in Rome in 1991 like the model used by the American Mafia in the 1930s., the organization began implementing its members in the highest circles of the most important companies in Moscow. Organization set up "common cash fund" (common funds), which received part of the profits obtained by illegal means. In addition, they created a chain of an information network through the corruption of police officers, and established strong relationships with members of the political world. They used political connections at the highest level in order to cover up their activities. They entered the banking and financial sector, which allowed the organization to expand its sphere of economic activity. The main activity of the organization was laundering money through the Russian and foreign banks, which allowed it to have some influence on trade and credit card companies. In addition, the Solntsevo group was involved in the trafficking of arms and drugs, stealing vehicles and kidnapping for ransom. The organization received a monopoly on the import and distribution of cocaine from South America in Moscow. Leaders of Solntsevo regularly visited Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Israel, France, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and other countries to invest in foreign countries illegally obtained funds and to create channels through which that "laundered" money could come back. They murdered the leaders of competing groups, absorbed their members and gained control over their territory88.

 

 

 

Leaders

At the head of the organization are Sergey Mikhailov, born on February 7, 1958, and Victor AVERIN, born on May 31, 1955.

Sergey Mikhailov

The citizen of Russia Mikhailov Sergey Anatolyevich, also known as Gluchnevich Vera born on 7 February 1958 in Moscow, is the head of the "Solntsevo" criminal group.(In the report 26/08/2000 г., of NCB Interpol in Sofia his DOB 7 February 1956 ).

 

He is also known as Mikhekhailov Serger, Mikhailidis Sergios.

His nicknames are: "Mikhas' and "Seryozha".89

 

Identification documents:

According to the Central Bureau of Interpol in Washington with a note that in 1996 he was living in San Jose, Costa Rica 90, Mikhailov has a Russian passport № 0013760F.

He is the owner of Russian passport 43 № 7889348, valid till 21 January 2004, as well as X-Passport Security number 705626, issued October 9, 1996. 91

He is also the owner of the Israeli identity card number 309982262 and Israeli passport number 6325716 issued in Brussels, Belgium , and valid until September 21, 2000. 92

He is the owner of a Greek passport number 190390 and / or M166985, issued on the name of Sergios Michaelides, when he was in Marbella, Spain, in 1996 .93Moreover, in 1996, by means of fraud, he received the Portuguese identification document 94.

Interpol in Kiev mentions Russian document № 21U12336773 and Israeli document number 5619997, issued on November 1, 1993 95 .Interpol in Sofia mentions passport number 01233673 * . 96

On May 10, 1995, he got passport of Costa Rica, and in July 1995 for $ 50,000 was trying to get a diplomatic passport of the Republic of Gayana. 97

 

* Analyst's remark: According to the Central Bureau of Interpol in Moscow, passport with this number (now invalid) belongs MHAYLOVU too, but not to Sergey and Gennady, who was born in Moscow on June 26, 1996, Russian passport "746156, which attracted the attention of the Czech police in 1995*

 

His Israeli citizenship was avoided in June 1997.98

 

Adresses:

 

  1. Mikhailov lives in Moscow 8-29 Novoperedelkinskaya str.119633.99

  2. In Switzerland he lived at: 12, Chemin des Tourniaux 1261 Borex. His address in Jerusalem (according to the NCB Interpol in Jerusalem) is the same as Averin's address: Givati 16, Bat Yam.

 

Mikhailov is an owner of real estate in Vienna (Austria) and Moscow(Russia). 100

 

General information:

 

  1. On 4 April 1984 Mikhailov was sentenced to 3 years of imprisonment for insurance fraud.В августе 1984 г. In August 1984 the sentence was changed to a three-year suspended sentence. After his release in 1987, he founded the Solntsevo gang. 101

 

  1. On December 7, 1989 Mikhailov was arrested in Moscow for extortion of money and cars from the businessman Vadim Rosenbaum, chairman of the "Cooperation Fund". He acted together with Averin brothers, LYUSTARNOV and Timofeev ("Sylvester"). All were previously arrested for a violent extortion and released on July 30, 1991, as a victim discharged witness.102

 

ROSENBAUM knew Mikhailov's business. In 1992 in Russia, ROSENBAUM addressed to Ivankov for help in resolving the conflict with Mikhailov. Ivankov said that Rosenbaum should respect the criminal code and take MIKHAILOV's protection. Rosenbaum gave to Solncevo group all his income, and he received only commission. That time he was officially dealing with international transport and, in fact, used his business to smuggle drugs to Solntsevo, organizing supply of Colombian cocaine. In France, hey bought computers and transported to Russia by companies belonging to Rosenbaum. So, for example, 10 trucks contained imported computers, but with the help of corrupt civil employees through customs went just one of them. By not paying taxes for most of the computers, the criminals were able to transfer the Colombian cocaine. 103

At night of 29 to 30 July 1997 ROSENBAUM was shot in Osterhout, the Netherlands. 104 According to the Interpol in Bern, there may be a connection between the murder of Vadim Mikhailov and ROZENBAUM. 105 According to the information obtained from public sources, ROSENBAUM, probably, was going to witness testimony in Mikhailov's criminal case (he was one of the key witnesses, when in 1989, Mikhailov was arrested for extortion.) 106 According to unconfirmed information, AVERIN ordered the murder of Rosenbaum , not to allow him to testify against Mikhailov. According to reports, his murder was organized by the "thief in law" Andrey ISSAEV, nicknamed "Mural" who was later killed in Poland during clashes between Polish and Russian gangs.107

 

  1. On August 12, 1993 Mikhailov and several other members of his group were questioned on suspicion of murdering of a Valery Vlasov who was the director of casino. According to the Interpol National Central Bureau in Washington, Vlasov was a successful Russian businessman and financial expert of Solntsevo (1). Mikhailov was released due to lack of evidence.

 

(1) Vlasov spent in prison 17 years for fraud with gambling. In 1991, he opened a casino and then chain of casinos in Moscow. He opened the casino "Valerie" together with Alexander Ruchka, who was the representative of Boris Antonov, who was an Austrian citizen Hans Peter Meyer. Then, in Moscow they opened casinos together with Kvantrishvili, Mikhailov, Kobzon and Vlasov. They all participated in the division of income. Casino "Maxim" was also opened by Vlasov and MIKHAILOV109.

Sincethe end of 1994 Mikhailov and Averin brothers were living outside. Russia.110In autumn 1003 Mikhailov was offered to leave Russia due to "tension "with Caucasian gangs. He moved to Hungary, where together with Semyon Mogilevich, founded several criminal groups.111

 

  1. In 1993 г. together with Averin and Mikhailov moved to Vienna (Austria). 112

 

  1. In 1993, Mikhailov and AVERIN moved from Vienna to Tel Aviv, Israel. According to the Central Bureau of Interpol in Jerusalem, September 6, 1993 Mikhailov entered Israel as a new immigrant, on the basis of his marriage a Jewish woman, signed in June 1993 in Budapest, Hungary. Despite the fact that he was still married Ludmila Mikhailova (Zakurdaeva), he registered a marriage with the help of Vodovozov Arcady (1), who was one of Mikhailov's friends. A month later, he immigrated to Israel. His lawyer submitted documents which stated that Mikhailov was a businessman and deputy director of the company "Maganex Vallakozot" and subsequently received an Israeli passport. Despite the fact that his name was included in the list of the Department of limitation of issuing passports Mikhailov managed to get this document.113