The Ministry of Internal Affairs arrested B.E. (DoB 1988), wanted for attacking the “Bank of Georgia” branch in Zugdidi on October 21, 2020.

The employees of Samegrelo - Zemo Svaneti Police Department, Central Criminal Police and Special Tasks Department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as a result of jointly conducted search measures and investigative activities detained B.E. (wanted from 2020) in Samegrelo region for coercion, illegal purchase-storage-carrying of firearms and ammunition, as well as terrorist act and taking civilians as hostages for terrorist purposes.

The committed crimes envision up to 15 years of imprisonment.

The investigation established that on October 21, 2020, armed with firearms and hand grenades, B.E. broke into one of the branches of the Bank of Georgia located on Zviad Gamsakhurdia Avenue, Zugdidi and took civilians as hostages. Upon receiving the notification regarding the attacker being at one of the branches of the bank, law enforcement officers were mobilized on the spot, followed by emergency operational-investigative measures. As a result of the appropriate measures taken by the police, hostages were released, after which the criminal managed to flee from the scene.

Police officers seized firearms and cartridges from the place of the arrest.

The investigation is being conducted under Articles 150, 236, 323 and 329 of the Criminal Code of Georgia.