In July 2009, an attempt on Oniani’s life failed, but the ensuing firefight on a busy Moscow street killed two bodyguards. This triggered a violent purge. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, infuriated by the public display of gang warfare, ordered the FSB and MVD to demolish the "thieves in law" movement.

By Organized Crime Desk

The "top crime" uncovered here was . Oniani funneled millions of euros from extortion in Russia into luxury villas in Marbella and Barcelona. He turned Spanish property into a zero-tax vault for the vory . When police raided his associates' properties, they found detailed ledgers of murder contracts and cash shipments. The Downfall of a Prime Crime Boss Every "peak" has a precipice. For Tariel Oniani, the fall came in 2009 with the Moscow restaurant shooting and the arrest of his lieutenants .

Russian prosecutors laid out a chilling scheme: Oniani’s men posed as FSB officers, raided the offices of businesswoman Valentina Ponomareva, and forced her to sign over assets worth nearly $10 million. This wasn't street crime; it was industrial warfare. This case became the legal hammer used to crush his empire. During his prime, Oniani operated as a transnational bridge. Spanish police’s Operation Avispa (Wasp) , conducted between 2005 and 2008, revealed that Oniani was a key financier for the Tambovskaya-Malyshevskaya clans operating on the Costa del Sol.