Tariel Oniani Prime Crime Top ✦ Editor's Choice

Kept him physically isolated during the height of the mafia war.

Unlike many modern criminals who have abandoned the ascetic lifestyle demanded by the traditional Vor code, Oniani is recognized by underworld historians as one of the last true operational titans. He possesses the unique capability to command thousands of loyalists across Russia, Greece, Italy, and Spain with a single directive.

At just 17 years old , Oniani was convicted of armed robbery and sent to the Soviet penal system.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the traditional vory sought to globalize their operations. Oniani was a pioneer of this eastward-to-westward expansion, taking advantage of open borders and weak financial regulations in Western Europe:

🔍 Swipe for timeline of the Oniani clan's rise & fall. tariel oniani prime crime top

The conflict centered on controlling the lucrative assets left behind by incarcerated mobsters, as well as billions of dollars flowing through various construction projects across Russia.

Charges: Extortion under Article 163 of the Russian Criminal Code. While many expected him to be convicted for murder or drug running, the state wisely chose extortion—a charge with easier evidence standards.

In January 2013, Ded Hasan himself was executed by a sniper while leaving a Moscow restaurant. Although Oniani was imprisoned at the time, the fallout of this execution sent shockwaves through the global mafia network, solidifying Taro's faction as a dominant, uncompromising force. Incarceration, Extradition, and Current Standing

He is a leader of the Kutaisi clan , one of the most powerful Georgian criminal organizations. Kept him physically isolated during the height of

Taro’s brazen actions caught up with him in July 2010 when a Moscow court sentenced him to for his involvement in the brutal kidnapping and extortion of a Georgian businessman.

As of April 2026, Oniani's primary legal residence remains within the Spanish justice system following his 2019 extradition. He has been sentenced to prison in Spain for illicit association and money laundering.

: Oniani led the Kutaisi clan in a bloody conflict against the Tbilisi clan, headed by Aslan "Grandpa Khasan" Usoyan

Russian mafia boss shot dead by sniper | Russia - The Guardian At just 17 years old , Oniani was

The core of the dispute was control over lucrative assets, including the multi-billion-dollar construction contracts for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. The conflict quickly turned bloody:

: By the 1980s, Taro had consolidated his influence, moving to Moscow and embedding himself as one of the most prominent, strategically minded kingpins in the Soviet capital. The European Expansion: France and Spain

By the 1980s, Taro had moved to Moscow, quickly organizing the Kutaisi criminal group into an efficient, highly disciplined organization. He established himself not just as a street-level boss, but as a sophisticated arbiter capable of settling disputes between warring gangs. Tariel Oniani’s Status on Prime Crime

In 2005, Spanish law enforcement launched Operation Wasp (Avispa) , a massive multi-jurisdictional crackdown targeting post-Soviet organized crime. Over 400 police officers raided luxury villas across Barcelona, Alicante, and Marbella. While dozens of his associates were captured, Oniani managed to evade the dragnet, fleeing Spain via helicopter and returning to the safety of Moscow, where he obtained Russian citizenship. 3. The Great Underworld War: Taro vs. Ded Khasan