13 members of Lithuanian crime group that earned €700 million in five years to face trial
Thirteen people linked to a wide-ranging drug trafficking and contract killing network active across Europe are set to stand trial in Vilnius. The group was led by wheelchair-bound Sergejus Beglikas, wanted alongside former Kaunas gang member Renaldas Kanys.
A criminal case against a large organized crime group that reportedly earned around €700 million over five years through drug trafficking and contract killings has reached the Lithuanian courts. The investigation was described as unusually long and complex, and now 13 defendants are set to appear before the Vilnius Regional Court.
Leadership and operations
The group's central figure is said to be Sergejus Beglikas, who uses a wheelchair and is known by the nickname "da Vinci." He led the organization together with Renaldas Kanys, a former member of the Kaunas-based "Daktarai" gang who remains on the list of Europe's most wanted criminals. According to investigators, the group ran an extensive drug smuggling operation, moving at least 2.4 tonnes of cocaine and 6.9 tonnes of hashish. It also generated income by carrying out contract killings for other criminals across Europe.
Contract killing charges
One of the most serious charges concerns the 2015 contract killing of 26-year-old Deimantas Bugavičius, who was shot dead in his car outside his home. Beglikas and Kanys are accused of ordering the murder, believing Bugavičius, who was linked to the so-called "Agurkiniai" (Cucumbers) gang, had stolen 400 kilograms of hashish from a rural property in western Lithuania.
The investigation into that killing is what ultimately led law enforcement to Beglikas and Kanys. Two figures known in criminal circles, Gia Zabakhidze and Karolis Šatinskas — both cousins of Kanys — reportedly played a key role in helping crack the case. Both men later survived attempts on their lives by a relative.
Other defendants
Alongside Beglikas and Kanys, 11 other people will stand trial: Ramūnas Urbonas, Agnius Sindaras, Vladislavas Lisenka, Vlads Sabiničius, Anatolijus Solovjovas, Rokas Gavutis, Romualdas Miceika Jr., Tomas Letinauskas, Deimantas Benžius, Rytis Kviecinskas, Tomas Machinas, and Gytis Žoromskis. All face charges related to both drug offenses and involvement in the ordered killing.
