Ukrainian Security Service officers with the assistance of the Russian FSB arrested Russian crime boss Yuri Pichugin, nicknamed Pichuga (“little bird”) in Odessa; he was in the international wanted list, as NEWSru.ua reports with reference to Ukrainian News.
"45-year-old Pichugin was wanted for extortion in particularly large scale, committed in the Republic of Komi. Previously, he had been repeatedly convicted for the theft and robbery. “In the criminal world this thief in law is known by a nickname Pichuga, he is one of the most iconic figures in the thieves environment”, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine claimed.
SSU representative said that after the known "kingpin" Vyacheslav Ivankov, nicknamed Jap was killed in Russia, the criminal authority Aslan Usoyan, nicknamed Ded Hassan made Pichugin his protege.
According to the news agency source, Pichugin is one of the most powerful crime bosses. He influences the crime situation throughout Russia, and he has a full control over criminal gangs in the Komi Republic.
For the first time Pichuga was convicted of theft in September 1983 just before his 17th anniversary. According to unofficial reports, in 1990, he was "crowned" with the assistance of "authorities" in Georgia, the newspaper "Molodezh Severa" reports. Getting the status of a "thief in law", Pichugin became a "dog" in the Republic.
In April, the Ukrainian police arrested Ded Hasan himself. 73-year old "godfather" was arrested in the VIP-hall of the Kiev airport Borispol, where he had arrived from Russia. Usoyana was accused of trying to enter the country with a false passport, and then he was departed back scandalously. However, Russian law enforcement services did not file any claims against Ded Hasan - he was recognized to be a victim of abuse of discretion by Ukrainian authorities and released
