Before the release of one of the most influential "thieves-in-law" Tariel Oniani (Taro) there was still almost a year, and the struggle for his future had already begun. Immediately after leaving the Tarot colony, an extradition to Spain awaits, where he faces a lengthy period. In 2010, the FMS found illegal the acquisition of Russian citizenship by Oniani, but the relevant court decision has not yet been received, and at the moment it remains a Russian citizen in all documents. If Oniani's associates, among whom the restaurateur Gela Tsertsvadze can be identified, will manage to maintain such a status of the Tarot, he will remain in Russia.

Tariel Oniani (Muluhov) was detained in 2009 and sentenced to 10 years in prison for extortion and kidnapping. At the moment he is serving his term in IR-6, located in the Sol-Iletsk district of the Orenburg region. Prior to this, Taro had visited the colonies in the Lipetsk region and the Krasnoyarsk Territory, where he even stayed with another prominent representative of the Kutaisi criminal clan Badri Koguashvili, but there was no opportunity to communicate there.

In June 2019, the term of Oniani's detention will come to an end. This event awaits with interest the mafia world. Taro at the time of the arrest had almost the same weight in the "thieves" environment, as well as "criminal general number 1" Aslan Usoyan (Ded Hasan). Of course, a lot has changed over the years, but, of course, at liberty, the Tarot can become one of the main figures among the "thieves-in-law". True, for this it is necessary to stay in Russia and again not to be jailed. And such prospects for Oniani are very real. Back in 2005, he was declared by Spain to be internationally wanted for large-scale money laundering and the organization of a criminal community. This happened within the framework of the investigation, following which another influential "lawyer", Zakhary Kalashov (Shakro the young), received nine years in prison. Tarot "shines" in Spain a similar term.

For a long time Oniani was protected from extradition by a Russian passport. However, when he was arrested in Moscow in 2009, the investigator in the extortion and kidnapping case sent a request to the FMS about the legality of getting a "thief in law" of Russian citizenship. And the answer was disappointing for the "lawyer". The FMS reported that Oniani received a Russian passport because he had submitted documents stating that he had been registered in Tatarstan on 6 February 1992 (persons who were permanently residing in Russia on that date had the right to receive citizenship, regardless of place of birth). However, the examination showed that the entry in the house book about the registration of Oniani in the Bugulma district of the Tatar SSR was made retroactively, that is, it was "lime". On this basis, the FMS in its response to the investigator concluded that the Russian citizenship of the Tarot was obtained illegally.

It is for this reason that in 2011 Oniani "borrowed" for a while the Spanish law enforcement officers to conduct investigative actions with him. In the verdict handed down to him, the fact of illegal acquisition of Russian citizenship was also recorded. However, to deprive the Russian passport this is not enough. A corresponding court decision must be issued on the suit of the FMS. And according to Rosbalt, the FMS - up to its liquidation - did not file such lawsuits. Therefore, when considering the "Oniani case" in the supervisory and other instances, he continued to appear in the materials as "citizen of the Russian Federation". And it remains so at the moment.

Often, law enforcement officers prepare a "surprise" for "thieves in law" in the form of a court decision to deprive the citizenship of the Russian Federation right before they leave for freedom. And at the gate of the colony the mafia is taken by hand and taken out of Russia or extradited to another country, if there are appropriate requests.

To prevent such a story with Oniani, according to Rosbalt, his companions now on all fronts launched a struggle to ensure that Tarot was not deprived of the citizenship of the Russian Federation through the court and was not extradited to Spain. Especially active in trying to solve this issue is the long-term "right hand" Oniani, the authoritative restaurateur Gela Tsertsvadze.