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The MMA athlete Lamberd Akhiadov acquired cryptocurrency and US {dollars} valued at $151,000 prior to “executing a terrorist attack” on December 31, 2022, according to Russian authorities.
Akhiadov was taken into custody on January 2, 2023, on allegations of killing a traffic control officer near Moscow’s Zaryadye Park.
MMA Fighter Transferred Crypto to Family Prior to Attack, Authorities Report
Lenta indicated that investigators believe Akhiadov transferred the funds and fiat to his “family’s” cryptocurrency wallets and bank accounts while he was in Turkey.
The MMA fighter Lamberd Akhiadov in action within the ACA in 2017. (Source: ACA MMA/YouTube/Screenshot)
Authorities suspect that the fighter subsequently “returned to Russia from Turkey” to execute the attack.
A representative stated that Akhiadov had “relocated all his family from his hometown Grozny, Chechnya, to Istanbul” in advance.
According to police, Akhiadov sent “his wife, two younger brothers, sister, and mother” to Turkey “at different times over the five months preceding the crime.”
This was part of an effort to ensure that law enforcement did not become “suspicious” of his activities, police assert.
Officials did not specify who they believe transferred the funds. However, investigators have previously alleged that Akhiadov “pledged allegiance to the Islamic State [ISIS]” prior to his attack.
Nonetheless, they think the fighter mishandled the assault, which was initially intended to be a “mass shooting.”
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Moscow’s Zaryadye Park. (Source: Mos.ru [CC BY 4.0])
Mass Shooting Intended?
Authorities believe that Akhiadov aimed to seize a police officer’s firearm and begin shooting at civilians, potentially in the park.
Instead, he assaulted a Moscow Administrative Road Inspectorate (MADI) officer, mistakenly identifying the individual as a police officer due to the similar “uniform.”
During the alleged attack, the fighter inflicted “at least 16 wounds” to the victim’s “vital organs,” according to police. The MADI official succumbed shortly thereafter.
Law enforcement officials report that Akhiadov resisted arrest and assaulted an officer with pepper spray.
Born on August 11, 1994, Akhiadov was part of the Absolute Championship Akhmat (ACA), a mixed martial arts organization based in Grozny, Chechnya, that was established in 2014.
UK monitors Russian spy ship, enhances undersea cable security https://t.co/gdp7C12YSY pic.twitter.com/7en0HhBGek
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 22, 2025
Akhiadov made his ACA debut in November 2014 and last competed in December 2019. He has maintained his innocence. If convicted, Akhiadov could face life imprisonment.
He has been listed on the Russian government’s official roster “of terrorists and extremists” due to his alleged connections to the Islamic State.
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