Security Chief: ‘Criminal Businesses’ Struggle in Abkhazia

A power struggle between “criminal businesses” in Abkhazia led to a series of explosions in the breakaway region in the last few days, Alexandre Lomaia, the secretary of the Georgian National Security Council, said on July 1.

“The Russian government’s unilateral illegal steps have contributed to the inflow of shadowy capital and its related criminal interests to the region,” Lomaia said in a statement. “The recent incidents are linked to the distribution of spheres of influence among these illegal businesses… It’s noteworthy that separatist leaders are patronizing these illegal businesses. Top Russian officials are also among the owners of these illegal businesses.”

He also said that “the separatists’ regime” was “based on isolation and a closed-door policy.”

“The decision by the separatists to suspend movement between the Gali district [of breakaway Abkhazia] and [neighboring] Zugdidi [on the Georgian side of the administrative border] only confirms this,” Lomaia said.

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