History 23/03/20 Operation “Cartel”: Andropov saved the Soviet Union from fur mafia
the Soviet Industrialists of the early 70-ies moved almost billions in the modern ruble terms. Doing profitable business in circumvention of the state, fur dealers mafia in the end got in sight of the KGB.
burglary was put on the scent
large-Scale and top-secret operation of the KGB under the code name “the Cartel”, held in the early 70-ies began with the burglary. From other similar theft is a crime was distinguished by the status of the victim (this was a popular Soviet singer) and stolen — a wealthy woman has lost valuables and two fur coats. The thief found. The police did not attach importance to the fact that items of outerwear was no factory labels. Investigators had the expert opinion of light industry Ministry of industrial method of manufacturing coats in compliance with all Standards.
But the mysterious origin of fur products a secret from MIA became interested in the KGB. Committee members have begun to quietly test the enterprise of the Soviet Union, which were manufactured in this product and soon found out that the “left” fur hats, collars, vests and coats sew on three Kazakh refineries. In the view of the KGB came Karaganda, Saran and Aback. The facts immediately reported to the Chairman of the Committee for state security of the USSR Yuri Andropov.
the report subordinates Andropov was the facts of the “protection” of criminal activity of heads of the enterprises of the local police, particularly the anti-corruption squad. Andropov then clashed with the Minister of internal Affairs of the USSR Nikolay Shchelokova and decided to use the “fur thing” as incriminating evidence against his rival. In further operation to expose the Kazakh businessmen from the fur industry was carried out under the personal supervision of the Chairman of the KGB.
Former lawyer invested their money
ToKazahstanskaya fur mafia, as found by the Committee members, rested on four pillars: a former member of the bar Lev Dunaiv, the chief of Abay city industrial complex Peter Snopkova, the former head of Saranskogo gorpromkombinat Rudolf Jatone and candidate of legal Sciences, head of the Department of the local school of the interior Ministry Joseph Apelbaum. The duties of the latter was to “build bridges” between the police officials of Karaganda and “furry mafia”.
In the late 60-ies by order of the Council of Ministers of the USSR substandard furs and fur had to be conveyed from the light industry enterprises in the sphere of consumer services. Sensing that this can be a easy cash in, a former lawyer Dunaev left practice and got ourselves the place of the head of production in Saranska the gorpromkombinat. In the shop (it was still under construction) have been manufactured and painted sheepskins and furs. Dunaev have invested their savings, organized the construction, he hired workers. In record time the shop was built. Soon, similar workshops have earned in Karaganda and Abisko, and enterprising organizer headed Karaganda gorpromkombinat.
sideline
“above-plan” production drove to the stores in large amounts. The criminal trafficking for large amounts of money involved heads of local institutions and enterprises of potrebsoyuz, comes in “the shed” “left” fur, among which was the high-quality Karakul. Used false documents about the “regrading” of the product or cheating it into unrecorded. Skins for additional material stretched. After hours for good wages in the shops sewed “left” furs, which are then dispersed to the stores in many major cities of the USSR.
the Operation “Cartel” almost fell
Committee Members held the information for the investigation “fur business” in secret, even Deputy Andropov Tsvigun, Semyon did not know the details. But he almost screwed everything up. Tsvigun with Shchelokova was close to Brezhnev, often communicated, and Tsvigun once mentioned in conversation with Shchelokova that the KGB is interested in the Kazakhstan interior Ministry. Liquor called Andropov. He was forced in General to tell what was the matter, and invited the Union Minister for police to carry out joint operation to arrest the fur mafia. Liquor got angry and bluntly asked that the KGB did not intervene in the Affairs of the interior Ministry.
Then, to pre-empt the actions of Shchelokova, Andropov decided to carry out the operation “Cartel” forces of his Department.
Millions and kilograms
Only in the case of fur mafia was arrested about 500 people, including Dunayev, who, sensing something was wrong, shortly before the arrests, he moved to work in the suburbs. About 5 million rubles and tens of kilograms of jewelry stored at home, at the cottage or workplace Dunaev, Snobkov and Epelbeym. Jatone, as shown by the result, almost all earned by dishonest means invested in the production.
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This “altruism” in the end, saved the life of a head of PROMKOMBINAT — the Jatone got 15 years and three of his accomplices were shot. Several employees of the Kazakhstan anti-corruption squad also got the camp time. But almost all the top police officials that covered the activities of the fur of the mafia, escaped punishment — intervention helped schelokova.
Russian Seven
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