MOSCOW, August 13 (RAPSI) – The police have arrested the suspected members of a crime ring that has reportedly committed over 25 murders, including the slaying of Vladikavkaz Mayor Vitaly Karayev in 2008, according to Vladimir Markin, spokesman for the Investigative Committee of Russia.

“The alleged members of the above crime ring, Inal Zasseyev, Robert Bagayev, Ruslan Yurtov, Erik Tautiyev and Dmitry Kodoyev who are wanted by Interpol and the federal authorities, were arrested in the early hours of August 13, 2014,” he said.

The 30-member gang that was reportedly established in 2007 by Georgian-born Aslan Gagiyev is suspected of numerous murders in Moscow and North Ossetia. Some of the suspects have already been convicted and are serving prison terms. Over ten of them have been arrested, and an additional ten suspects, including Gagiyev, are wanted by Interpol and federal law enforcement agencies.

In March 2008, members of the crime ring reportedly murdered Mark Metsayev, Chief of the North Ossetian Interior Ministry’s Organized Crime Department. In the winter of 2008, they allegedly murdered North Ossetia’s Deputy Prime Minister Kazbek Pagiyev and his driver. In the fall of 2008, they allegedly murdered the chief of local crime investigation department and his son. In October 2013, they allegedly murdered Oleg Oziyev, a deputy district prosecutor in Vladikavkaz.

The arrested suspects were found to have 27 assault rifles, 22 pistols, silencers, 36 hand grenades, over 7,000 rounds of ammunition, improvised explosive devices and dozens of traffic police and other emergency services uniforms.