Tariel Oniani Prime Crime Top

Born in the mining town of Tkibuli in the Georgian SSR in 1952, Oniani’s turn to a life of crime was a product of circumstance. Following the death of his father in a mining accident, the young Oniani found his path in the underworld. His criminal record began shockingly early: at just 17 years old, he was convicted of armed robbery, serving a prison sentence that would expose him to the rigid caste system of Soviet criminals. It was within these prison walls that Oniani was initiated and "crowned" as a 'vor v zakone,' a lifelong status that demands absolute loyalty to the criminal code and renunciation of any lawful work.

Tariel Oniani: Architect of Transnational Organized Crime tariel oniani prime crime top