Kidnapper of Spanish businessmen arrested

Tengiz Khangoshvili, a member of Shota Chichiashvili's criminal gang, was arrested by officers of the State Security Ministry in the village of Kvemo Khalani in the Pankisi region on December 8. Khangoshvili was wanted in connection with the kidnapping of two Spanish businessmen in Tbilisi on November 20, 2000. The two men were held hostage for a year. The prisoner has declared himself guilty.

Nika Laliashvili, head of the State Security Ministry?s press and public information service, told reporters that other members of the gang had been identified too, and efforts were underway to arrest them.

Shota Chichiashvili, the gang leader, was arrested some months ago in Moscow, but his extradition to Georgia is still being negotiated.

The style of the kidnapping of the Spanish businessmen is similar to the kidnapping of Tamaz Maghlakelidze, Co-President of the United Georgian Bank, but it is still too early to speak of any links between the two offences, Laliashvili said.