Azernews.Az

Azerbaijan’s National Security Ministry has thwarted terror acts planned against foreign citizens in the capital Baku, it said in a statement on Thursday.

The law enforcers seized two Azerbaijani nationals - Rasim Aliyev and Ali Huseynov, who planned attacks on foreign public figures in Baku. The crimes were ordered by Balagardash Dadashov, a resident of the Iranian city of Ardabil, who is wanted over such grave crimes as banditry and kidnappings, the statement said.

Firearms and explosives were brought to Azerbaijan from neighboring Iran bypass customs agencies to stage the terror attacks, it said.

Investigators established that Dadashov, who had connections with the Iranian secret service agencies, in Ardabil in August 2011 ordered attacks on Baku-based foreign public figures to be orchestrated by Aliyev, his brother-in-law, and promised to pay him $150,000 for the commission of these crimes.

After Aliyev accepted the offer, Dadashov gave him photos of the victims of the planned attacks and their cars, and a sketch indicating the location of their offices and home addresses in Baku. Dadashov paid him money several times, worth a total of $9,300, to prepare the terror acts.

To carry out the attacks, Aliyev further conspired with Huseynov, his acquaintance, who could handle firearms, and promised to give him half of the money he would receive if the planned attacks were successful. Huseynov agreed and subsequently received a total of $7,000 to plan the murders and buy a car to be used in committing the crimes.