Two Detained in Marneuli on Group Extortion Charges

The Marneuli District Division of the Kvemo Kartli Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs detained two people on charges of group extortion. According to the agency, one of them has a prior criminal record for various offenses and is currently on probation.

According to the ministry, the investigation established that the suspects had a fellow villager open a bank account and gained access to the information needed to use internet banking. They convinced the man that money would be deposited into the account and that they would give him a certain share of it.

Later, the suspects told the man that the bank account had supposedly been closed, after which they demanded that he pay 1,500 GEL. They threatened to kill him if he did not pay.

Law enforcement officers detained both individuals as suspects as a result of comprehensive operational measures and investigative actions. The case is being investigated under Article 181 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which provides for imprisonment of up to 7 years.