Pubdate: Sat, 15 Jul 2000
Source: Moscow Times, The (Russia)
Copyright: 2000 The Moscow Times
Contact:  Ulitsa Pravdy, Dom 24, 125865 Moscow, Russia
Fax: (7-095) 937-3393
Website: http://www.moscowtimes.ru/
Author: Simon Saradzhyan, Staff Writer

'STRANGE' HEROIN BUST AT STARLITE DINER

Three plainclothes policemen walked into the Starlite Diner one evening 
this week for what they said was a routine document check as part of a city 
anti-terrorism operation.

They left after taking into custody the ousted director of a major vanadium 
mining complex, who they said was carrying heroin in his pockets.

Dzholol Khaidarov, who is fighting to be reinstated as head of the 
Urals-based Kachkanar Vanadium Mining Complex, or GOK, was arrested Tuesday 
evening on suspicion of heroin possession with intent to sell in what even 
prosecutors call a "strange" case.

Khaidarov remained in jail Friday. His associate Damir Gareyev f the former 
GOK chairman of the board, who was removed along with Khaidarov claimed the 
drugs were planted and accused Kachkanar's new managers of being behind the 
arrest.

The plainclothes officers from the Interior Ministry's anti-organized crime 
force entered the diner at Ploshchad Mayakovskaya with the stated purpose 
of checking customers' documents.

The search was part of a citywide operation to avert terrorist acts by 
Chechen rebel supporters, said Vladimir Panevezhsky of the Nikulino 
district prosecutor's office.

Despite the official explanation for the check, the officers examined IDs 
at only two tables, including one where Khaidarov was sitting with a 
colleague, a Starlite Diner manager said. Calls to the anti-organized crime 
force's press service went unanswered Friday.

After looking at Khaidarov's passport, the officers decided to check his 
pockets, where they found three tiny plastic bags containing a total of 6 
grams of heroin, according to prosecutor Panevezhsky, whose office is 
overseeing the case.

Khaidarov was immediately arrested and taken to a Moscow detention 
facility. Under the law, such a quantity of heroin is enough to charge a 
suspect with intending to sell drugs in "large quantities," the prosecutor 
said.

The usual dose of heroin is a half-gram. The street price in Moscow for 1 
gram of heroin is about $9.

Calls to Alexander Shipayev of the Nikulino-Troparevo district police 
force, who is investigating Khaidarov's case, went unanswered Friday.

Panevezhsky said formal charges have yet to be filed against Khaidarov, but 
predicted the businessman would remain in prison pending trial.

The prosecutor said it seemed "strange" for such a presumably wealthy 
businessman, the former head of a company generating $300 million in annual 
sales, to be suspected of a drug deal involving 6 grams of heroin.

"It is strange, but a fact is a fact. th Heroin was found on him in the 
presence of witnesses," the prosecutor said.

The Starlite Diner manager, who asked not to be identified, said Tuesday 
was the first time in its five-year history that police officers had 
entered the diner to check customers' identification.

He said that about two years ago, police officers came to the diner to 
check IDs, but were asked by managers to remain outside and they examined 
documents at the diner's entrance. Then, the police said they were looking 
for pickpockets, the manager said.

Gareyev, the former board chairman, said the police officers planted the 
heroin in the pockets of his business partner, who he said has never used 
drugs.

Interviewed by Kommersant newspaper earlier this week, Gareyev said he 
believes Khaidarov's arrest was part of a campaign initiated by Kachkanar 
GOK's present managers, who are loyal to Sverdlovsk region Governor Eduard 
Rossel. These managers are trying to prevent Khaidarov and Gareyev from 
re-gaining control of the company, he said.

Reached by telephone, the company's representative in Moscow denied that 
Kachkanar GOK's current management had anything to do with Khaidarov's arrest.

In addition to the heroin case, the Nikulino-Troparevo district police are 
investigating another case against both Khaidarov and Gareyev.

The two are suspected of having used a false Kachkanar GOK stamp to 
validate documents upon their dismissal from the company in January, 
Gareyev said.

Also, prosecutors in the Sverdlovsk region are investigating two more 
criminal cases against Khaidarov: one on suspicion of embezzling 400 
million rubles from Kachkanar GOK and another in which he is accused of 
attempted rape.

Khaidarov lost his post at Kachkanar GOK on Jan. 28 when the board of 
directors abruptly met and elected Andrei Kozitsyn as the new director. 
Hours later, Kozitsyn, accompanied by armed guards and police, swooped down 
on the plant and took over the premises. Khaidarov at the time was 
recovering from surgery at a Moscow hospital.

Khaidarov and his allies are challenging the management reshuffle in court.

Kachkanar GOK produces about 40 million metric tons of ore a year, 
generating some $300 million in sales.
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