Organized crime boss killed

Photo: Erik Prozes

While the Central Criminal Police was allegedly planning the imminent arrest of criminal world godfather Nikolai Tarankov, the operation that was to become the crown jewel in the fight against organized crime lost all meaning yesterday, after Tarankov was found murdered.

Years of investigation, data analysis, and surveillance activity were about to come to fruition – authorities had planned to move against Tarankov in September, after more than 25 years of stalemate and repeated criticism concerning inability to do something about Nikolai Tarankov's (63) activities.

Detectives believed they had finally caught the kingpin known simply as Kolya. The man who managed to avoid being tied to evidence by not discussing matters on the phone and constantly switching places of residence had finally made a few mistakes.

It was believed there was now enough evidence to bring suspicions against Tarankov and finally arrest and prosecute him. While the arrest of Assar Paulus a few years ago constituted a bombshell in the criminal world, the top secret operation to catch Tarankov would have made it look insignificant.

Authorities will have to rethink their plans; Postimees was told yesterday evening that there never was any investigation. Journalists were asked to be more diligent in verifying their sources.

This denial is understandable as detectives of the organized crime bureau were treated to a nasty surprise yesterday. Haapsalu police reported that a passer-by had found an SUV parked on an abandoned gravel road with Tarankov's bullet-ridden body inside. He had been shot in the head.

The question why was Tarankov, who usually had company, alone in Lääne County requires further investigation. It has been claimed Tarankov was a passionate fisherman. Considering the isolated location, the killer was either following Tarankov or knew exactly where the godfather liked to go fishing.

Detectives spend all day yesterday looking for clues at the crime scene and will continue their search at first light today.

The main question is who and why had Tarankov killed. There were no signs of strife in the criminal world mere weeks ago. Rather everything was quiet. This seeming peace that had lasted for years might have lulled Tarankov into carelessness.

Even though his closest associates in running the so-called common treasury – Chechen Haron Dikajev and Assar Paulus – have been in lockup for some time, Tarankov's influence went much further. Postimees wrote a week ago how the aging godfather would need to start thinking about appointing a replacement soon. The criminal world requires forceful leadership and active participation, neither of which is counted among the strengths of old men.

Tarankov became the leader of the organized crime umbrella that is the common treasury in the late 1980s, as a result of a development that allegedly surprised even himself. It is claimed that a couple of Russian criminals contacted local crime leaders as they wanted to pay protection for a successful transaction they had made in Estonia. It was an unwritten rule of the criminal world in Russia at the time.

Even though Estonia lacked such an organization at the time, local criminals decided to profit by creating it on the spot. Because the organization could not be trusted to the leaders of existing criminal groups, the position was offered to seemingly independent authority Nikolai Tarankov, a boxing champion with a KGB background. And that is where he stayed for the next 30 years.