Thread by @OCCRP, NEW: We've translated a story Roman Anin and our Russian partner, @istories

NEW: We& #39;ve translated a story Roman Anin and our Russian partner, @istories_media, published in March. It shows that a senior newly-appointed FSB official has ties to figures in organized crime.

Roman& #39;s apartment was raided by the FSB on Friday night. 1/ https://www.occrp.org/en/investigations/istories-top-russian-fsb-official-has-multiple-underworld-ties">https://www.occrp.org/en/invest...

iStories: Top Russian FSB Official Has Multiple Underworld Ties - OCCRP

Sergei Korolev, who was appointed to a key FSB position earlier this year by President Vladimir Putin, is connected to leaders in the Russian criminal underworld accused of dozens of murders and ki...

https://www.occrp.org/en/investigations/istories-top-russian-fsb-official-has-multiple-underworld-ties

The official at the center of this investigation is Sergei Korolev, who Vladimir Putin appointed to be the FSB’s first deputy director.

Here’s what Roman and @istories_media found

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten">2/

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="➡️" title="Pfeil nach rechts" aria-label="Emoji: Pfeil nach rechts"> 2004: St. Petersburg police found that Korolev, who then worked in the FSB’s economic division, had close contact with Oleg Makovoz, an organized criminal figure later sentenced to 23 yrs for kidnapping, extortion, and murder. 3/

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="➡️" title="Pfeil nach rechts" aria-label="Emoji: Pfeil nach rechts"> 2008: Spanish police identified an official nicknamed "Shakefoot" as an ally of accused criminal Gennady Petrov, who fled to Russia after being arrested in Spain.

As it turns out, "Shakefoot" appears to be Korolev. Read the full story for more: 4/

2008: Spanish police identified an official nicknamed "Shakefoot" as an ally of accused criminal Gennady Petrov, who fled to Russia after being arrested in Spain. As it turns out, "Shakefoot" appears to be Korolev. Read the full story for more: 4/" title="https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="➡️" title="Pfeil nach rechts" aria-label="Emoji: Pfeil nach rechts"> 2008: Spanish police identified an official nicknamed "Shakefoot" as an ally of accused criminal Gennady Petrov, who fled to Russia after being arrested in Spain. As it turns out, "Shakefoot" appears to be Korolev. Read the full story for more: 4/" class="img-responsive" style="max-width:100%;"/>

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="➡️" title="Pfeil nach rechts" aria-label="Emoji: Pfeil nach rechts"> 2018: Aslan Gagiev, the head of a criminal group from the Caucasus accused of carrying out many murders, told Austrian authorities that an FSB official — almost certainly Korolev — helped him flee Russia.

Sources told @istories_media that Korolev owed Gagiyev a favor. 5/

2018: Aslan Gagiev, the head of a criminal group from the Caucasus accused of carrying out many murders, told Austrian authorities that an FSB official — almost certainly Korolev — helped him flee Russia.Sources told @istories_media that Korolev owed Gagiyev a favor. 5/" title="https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="➡️" title="Pfeil nach rechts" aria-label="Emoji: Pfeil nach rechts"> 2018: Aslan Gagiev, the head of a criminal group from the Caucasus accused of carrying out many murders, told Austrian authorities that an FSB official — almost certainly Korolev — helped him flee Russia.Sources told @istories_media that Korolev owed Gagiyev a favor. 5/" class="img-responsive" style="max-width:100%;"/>

So why would Putin promote someone with Korolev’s background?

This is the question @istories_media journalists asked throughout their reporting. 6/

Korolev’s friends and former enemies answered in roughly in the same way:

"Who is not without sin? At least [Korolev] has never betrayed anyone. The president appreciates such people." 7/

We don’t know for sure whether this story is connected to the Friday raid on Roman’s apartment and his interrogation this morning. Formally, Roman is a "witness" in an "invasion of privacy" case that’s related to this separate 2016 investigation. But… 8/ https://www.occrp.org/en/investigations/5523-the-secret-of-the-st-princess-olga">https://www.occrp.org/en/invest...

The Secret of the St. Princess Olga

In 2013, Oceanco, one of the top yacht builders in the Netherlands, launched a top-of-the-line creation, an 85.6 meter super-yacht with the designation Y708.

https://www.occrp.org/en/investigations/5523-the-secret-of-the-st-princess-olga

...that old case was re-opened just two weeks after the Korolev/FSB investigation, described earlier in this thread, was published by @istories_media. Either way, Roman’s opaque and potentially serious legal situation is far from over. 9/

Russia is one of the world’s hardest countries in which to do investigative journalism.

You can help by:

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="➡️" title="Pfeil nach rechts" aria-label="Emoji: Pfeil nach rechts"> Following and donating to @istories_media

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="➡️" title="Pfeil nach rechts" aria-label="Emoji: Pfeil nach rechts"> Using the hashtag #LeaveRomanAninAlone

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="➡️" title="Pfeil nach rechts" aria-label="Emoji: Pfeil nach rechts"> Continuing to follow us here. We’ll keep bringing you the latest.

Latest Threads Unrolled: