Notorious Chechen warlord starts drug business

As a result of conducting reconnaissance activities in the Verkhny Haurvillage of the Nadterechny district of Chechnya, special servicemen of theRussian Interior Ministry together with police forces of the FederalSecurity Service of the Nadterechny district of Chechnya detained a memberof Chechen illegal military groups Aslan Bitiyev (born in 1969). Accordingto information of the regional staff for anti-terrorist operations in theNorth Caucasus, Bitiyev was commissioned by Aslan Maskhadov, a notoriousChechen warlord, to actively start preparing terrorist acts against localofficials and interior officials, who are native Chechens. A criminal casewas filed against the detainee. Measures are being taken to determine inwhat other crimes he was involved in the past.Bitiyev testified that Maskhadov had introduced the so-called "presidentialtax." Rebels were supposed to collect it from Chechen businessmen to fillup financial reserves of Chechen rebel groups. Maskhadov is now buildinghis own drug business, including a system of transporting heroine fromAfghanistan and Tajikistan to Chechnya, the detainee reported. .