Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has commented on Moldova’s reply to her earlier statement that the tragedy at the Chisinau airport was a consequence of the termination of Moldova’s participation in the work of the Bureau for Coordination of Fight Against Organized Crime and Other Serious Crimes within the CIS Area (BKBOP).
“This is about a statement of the Interior Ministry of the Republic of Moldova about the fact that BKBOP does not have information about Rustam Ashourov.
“How does Moldova know if database of Russian law enforcement authorities contains data on the shooter from Tajikistan or not?”, – Zakharova was cited as saying by rupor.md.
“I can say with 100% certainty that neither before nor after the incident at the Chisinau airport Moldovan competent bodies contacted the BKBOP for this particular criminal. Therefore, it is not clear how they can claim whether he is in the Bureau’s database or not,” Russian MFA spokesperson was cited as saying.
Moreover, Mrs. Zakharova reiterated that curtailing the participation of Chisinau in the work of the CIS and the BKBOP is a dangerous trend, which is directly related to the lack of cooperation on security issues.
rupor.md further noted that Moldova’s Interior Ministry stated on July 6 that the BKBOP did not have information about Rustam Ashourov, who killed two people at Chisinau International Airport, because On June 30, the Tajik authorities just prepared an international investigation file in his name.
Citing a statement by the Moldovan Interior Ministry, rupor.md reports that Moldova recalled its liaison officer form the BKBOP in January this year “because personnel policy required concentration of specialists on combating trans-boundary organized crime in Chisinau.” According to the statement, the trans-boundary organized crime has reportedly been caused by risks of war in neighboring Ukraine.
Recall, Tajik authorities said on July 1 that the man who allegedly opened fire and killed two security personnel at Chisinau International Airport is a Tajik national who is suspected of being in an “organized criminal group” that is believed to have kidnapped the first deputy head of Orienbonk, Shuhrat Ismatulloyev, on June 23.
Tajikistan’s Prosecutor’s Office alleged on July 1 that the detainee, identified as Rustam Ashourov, was a member of a crime group, which abducted Shuhrat Ismatulloyev.
Prosecutors charge that Ashourov, after committing this crime, fled the country to Moldova through Turkiye in order to subsequently hide in the countries of the European Union.
After Ashourov was refused entry to Moldova, he reportedly “grabbed a pistol from one of the law-enforcement officers of the Chisinau airport, shot two, and took several people hostage.” Security personnel fired back at the man, wounding him before taking him under arrest. Ashourov died in a hospital next day.
The Associated Press (AP) cited the head of Moldova’s police, Viorel Cernauteanu, as telling reporters Saturday that “police exchanged fire with the attacker” during the incident, which unfolded at 5:13 p.m. local time.
Asked if Ashourov had connections to Russian mercenary group Wagner, Cernauteanu said there was no evidence that the suspect “has relationships with military or paramilitary structures” and he was not listed in any international search system.
