Tariel Oniani remains a fixture at the absolute of the historical Prime Crime hierarchy because he represents the modern evolution of the Eurasian mobster. He successfully bridged two entirely different worlds: the bleak, honor-bound Soviet gulags of the 1970s and the hyper-liquid, borderless financial markets of Western Europe.
Tariel Guramovich Oniani (also known as Mulukhov).
Upon his return to Moscow, Oniani found himself locked in a fierce battle for supremacy over the Russian criminal ecosystem. His chief rival was , widely known as "Ded Hasan" (Grandpa Hasan), an incredibly powerful Yezidi-Kurdish crime lord who controlled vast swathes of the post-Soviet black market.
How in Georgia and Russia impacted his network. Share public link
In July 2010, the Khamovnichesky District Court sentenced Oniani to . tariel oniani prime crime top
For decades, his movements, alliances, and violent feuds have dominated , the definitive, authoritative Russian database tracking the hierarchy and biographies of the global post-Soviet criminal elite. To analyze Tariel Oniani through the lens of Prime Crime’s top rankings is to explore the history of modern Eurasian organized crime itself—spanning from the collapsing mining towns of the Soviet Union to the elite corporate enclaves of Western Europe and the bloody street wars of Moscow.
: Embracing incarceration as an occupational reality rather than a punishment.
Oniani's rise to notoriety began in the 1980s, as he became involved in various illicit activities, including extortion, racketeering, and murder. He eventually became one of the most feared and respected crime bosses in Georgia, known for his cunning and ruthlessness.
Though currently ensnared in legal battles and heavily monitored by international intelligence agencies, Oniani's legacy as the architect of the Kutaisi clan ensures that his name will always command immense gravity in the world of organized crime. Tariel Oniani remains a fixture at the absolute
In the shadow world of the post-Soviet Eurasian underworld, few names carry as much weight, fear, and institutional gravity as . Known universally in the criminal fraternity by his moniker "Taro," Oniani is a premier Vor v Zakone (Thief-in-Law). He serves as the undisputed leader of the powerful Kutaisi criminal clan .
By the 1980s, Oniani had transitioned from a local thief into one of the most prominent thieves-in-law in Moscow, managing extensive criminal enterprises during the chaotic collapse of the Soviet Union.
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
In the algorithmic and editorial rankings compiled by Prime Crime, Tariel Oniani consistently ranks as a . Even during his decade of incarceration, Oniani’s influence remained absolute through loyal proxies like Merab Jangveladze. Upon his return to Moscow, Oniani found himself
Oniani built a vast international criminal empire with outposts across Europe, specifically Spain, France, and Greece. His influence persists even during periods of incarceration through a network of loyal subordinates and "thieves' meetings" ( Status in 2026:
Oniani's return to Russia sparked a massive power struggle with (known as "Ded Khasan" ), then the most powerful figure in the Russian underworld.
Born on January 25, 1952, in the scenic mountain region of Svaneti, Georgia, Tariel Oniani grew up in a culture where codes of loyalty (the Svan codex ) often blurred the line between clan honor and criminality. Unlike many thieves in law who started as street pickpockets, Oniani was academically inclined, even studying law—an irony not lost on prosecutors who would later chase him.
[Tariel Oniani (Taro)] <===============> [Aslan Usoyan (Ded Khasan)] (Kutaisi Mafia Clan) Underworld (Slavic-Tbilisi Factions) Turf War | +-----------------+-----------------+ | | 2010: Oniani Imprisoned 2013: Ded Khasan Assassinated (10-Year Extortion Term) (In Central Moscow)
: Throughout his imprisonment, Oniani remained a "Top" figure on Prime Crime, a site that serves as a living record of the Vory world. His influence persisted even from behind bars, where he allegedly continued to lead the Kutaisi faction.
Moved to Paris and later Spain, where he allegedly managed money laundering and construction businesses using illegal Georgian labor.