As VChK-OGPU and Rucriminal.info have learned, materials concerning the influential underworld figure Abakar Darbishev—who died during his arrest—have been separated from the case of billionaire Ibragim Suleymanov and his associates (the investigation into which has now concluded). Darbishev’s family refused to have the criminal proceedings against him dropped following his death. Darbishev was a friend, close associate, and enforcer for Ilya Traber, known as “The Antiquarian” (Antikvar). According to a source, this case will serve as the framework for further investigation into numerous other murders potentially linked to Darbishev and his team of hitmen.
In the final indictment, Suleymanov and his accomplices—already charged with the murders of Gennady Borisov (head of the trade union committee at Vnukovo Airlines) and Georgy Tal (former head of the Federal Service for Financial Recovery)—now also face charges of establishing a criminal organization. However, the most intriguing member of this criminal group, Abakar Darbishev, did not live long enough to be interrogated. According to the official version provided by the Investigative Committee, he suffered a heart attack during his arrest. According to an unofficial account, law enforcement officers locked themselves in a room with him at a private residence in Skolkovo, from which harrowing screams were heard. The latter version seems more credible, given that his body was not released to his relatives for over 100 days.
Darbishev’s funeral service was held at a memorial hall on Partizanskaya Street in St. Petersburg, attended by a number of prominent figures. The arrangements were overseen by underworld figure Vladimir Danilenko—the “right-hand man” of Ilya Traber. Abakar was buried in Dagestan. Later, "Antikvar" [The Antiquarian] and his friend, Senator Alexander Yaroshuk, visited his grave.
Abakar Darbishev had an extensive criminal record. In 2002, he was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for murder and causing grievous bodily harm; he had killed one man and severely wounded another. The victims were professional car thieves who had attempted to steal a new vehicle belonging to his wife.
Abakar Darbishev served his sentence in the Leningrad Region, where he met Danilenko—the "right-hand man" of Traber—and, subsequently, "Antikvar" himself. As it turned out, they had much in common. In fact, it was Darbishev’s men who had carried out the murder of Pavel Kapysh, the CEO of the Baltic Financial and Industrial Group.
During later stints in prison, Abakar met Denis Zeykan (also known as Vasily Gubal), who had also been arrested in connection with the Suleymanov case. He can be seen in a photograph alongside Leps and Alisultan Nadirbekov. In Moscow, Zeykan served as a bodyguard for Traber. Nadirbekov was also a prominent member of Darbishev’s organization; he joined the group following the murder of the "thief-in-law" known as "Yaponchik" [The Japanese], for whom he had previously handled enforcement operations. Nadirbekov, along with "Antikvar" and Danilenko, was arrested for the murder of deputy Alexander Petrov, and they were all released at the same time.
Danilenko’s entire crew consisted exclusively of career criminals—mostly men he had served time with, having witnessed their "tempering" within the prison system. Upon his own release, Darbishev also recruited many of his former fellow inmates into his crew. Danilenko was in charge of all "muscle" (enforcement) matters for Traber, while Darbishev held a similar role for the billionaire Ibragim Suleymanov. Darbishev’s circle of acquaintances was by no means limited to Suleymanov; he knew many figures from the security services, politics, and the ranks of the oligarchs—individuals whose paths frequently crossed with the criminal underworld. Adam Delimkhanov, for instance, was among them.
According to a source, Darbishev became close to Traber when the latter found himself in a serious conflict—precisely with Delimkhanov. Abakar helped resolve the dispute, and Traber and Darbishev subsequently became close friends. Furthermore, Darbishev and his team of hitmen began carrying out assignments for "The Antiquarian" (Traber)—tasks that, for various reasons, Traber could not entrust to Danilenko. One such example was the murder of parliamentarian Alexander Petrov (whom Traber used to refer to as "Sashka, my friend").
As it stands, the situation is as follows: the murders of Petrov, Manevich, Kapysh, and others remain unsolved. Darbishev died during an attempt to arrest him. Zeykan will face trial in connection with the Suleymanov case. Meanwhile, Nadirbekov, Danilenko, and Traber have all been released—following a directive from the very top.
Danilenko’s words, spoken when he first learned that law enforcement was taking an interest in the Petrov case, proved prophetic: "To get to us, you’d have to ask someone very high up." It turned out that the person in question was so "high up" that he was effectively beyond reach.
