Mass Searches, Arrests in Dagestan

House-to-house searches and multiple arrests have been taking place since the morning of Feb. 21 in the village of Komsomolskoye in the Kizilyurt district in Dagestan, the Caucasian Knot reported, citing local residents. 

According to local resident Sirazhudin Gadzhiyev, the village has been surrounded by the armed officers, who began to search every house. Gadzhiyev said that his son was detained for allegedly hiding a grenade in the house.

“My son Khabib’s house was invaded by 30 armed and masked people in camouflage. They entered all the rooms and then one of them shouted that he had found ‘what was necessary.’ Witnesses were brought in and shown a pack of cartridges and a grenade, which had allegedly been found in my son’s shoes. The police planted them on him, as no one can control what they do,” Gadzhiyev said, adding that Khabib had already been taken to the Kizilyurt police station.

According to the Caucasian Knot, Khabib, 24, is a devout Muslim, who has a wife and a small child. He works at a construction site and had never had problems with the police.

Another resident of the Komsomolskoye, Magomed Magomedov, said that the number of detained is at least 10. He also said that the police officers had been overheard saying that there would be more arrests in the area.

At the same time, the local police station and the Dagestani police press center said that they had no any information on the arrests.