The profession of liquidator

[Hacker]

Bandits, what do you know about killers? Now I'm not talking about those that we are used to seeing on the screens of monitors, but about those who live among us, on whose account not a single ruined life.

Killing people in games is easy and enjoyable. Especially when it comes to games like Hitman, where the deprivation of a person's life becomes something of a puzzle-puzzle at speed: here you slip past the guards, there is clever make-up, and in the finale, hit the target with lightning speed and hide, leaving no witnesses. But how does it feel to be a real hitman? And how similar are the everyday life of a liquidator to the life of Agent 47 from this game? For answers to these questions, we turn to a real killer.

Our interlocutor is Alexei Snezhinsky, a former regular killer of the Kazan organized crime group Zhilka.
He worked as a full-time killer in the Kazan organized crime group Zhilka (one of the largest in Russia in the 90s). In 2005, he was convicted of the murder of eight people. Its victims were members of the criminal world: drug dealers, the leader of the Rostov organized criminal group, local Kazan bandits. After serving 16 years of the prescribed 17 years in prison (including a term in a pre-trial detention center), he was released on parole, settled down and got a family.

- Alexey, first of all, our traditional question for representatives of "non-standard professions": do you play on a computer or console? And if so, are you familiar with the famous Hitman series, which tells about the difficult everyday life of the liquidators?

- Of course, I'm playing. I can't say that I'm an avid gamer, but games as a hobby are not alien to me. I met Hitman in 2001 or 2002 - my friends in Moscow had a PlayStation. As far as I remember now, I liked it. I don't think I remember the details. Soon I was forced to give up games for almost sixteen years.
"The further the goal is from you, the less emotions you experience."

- How is the liquidator's skill taught? Leon in the film of the same name said that the shorter the distance of using the weapon, the more difficult it is to master and the later it is studied. In particular, the sniper rifle is mastered first, the knife is the last. This is true?

- As far as I know, at present there are no educational institutions for training killers (apart from the army and special services), so there is no uniform, so to speak, professional training standard. But, of course, there is a rational grain in the statement of my French colleague. The further away the target is from you, the less emotion you feel when pulling the trigger. No matter what anyone says, it is very difficult to force yourself to kill a person, especially the first time. But even if the elimination occurred when the target was out of sight of the performer, he still realizes what he did. And he will live with it the rest of his life.

Recently, I got to know and got into conversation with a military - a combat drone operator, directing drones to terrorist bases. He honestly admitted that "pinpoint strikes" are a myth, and the realization that many civilians have "collateral losses" from his actions is very nerve-racking. So yes, Leon was right: if you have chosen such a difficult craft in life, it is better to prepare yourself for the most difficult one gradually.

- How is the assignment received? In games, work is entrusted either by a faceless corporation, or the killer himself follows the trail of the offender, or calls the "officer" of the mafia and gives the task directly.

- Yes, so, in principle, everything happens. There are no random people in this business. Liquidation is too serious a matter to be entrusted to executors who are not 100% sure about. The killers to whom the dispatcher or "capo" of the organized criminal group issues the task have been thoroughly checked, serious people vouched for them, so you can speak frankly about the order with them. The stories about the fact that the leader of the group gives orders only through the foremen are partly true, but to a greater extent inspired by Hollywood and tabloid literature like The Godfather. In Russia, the head of an organized criminal group can easily give orders on his own. But, of course, only if the killer is a trusted person whom he knows personally.

I don't believe in faceless agencies and mysterious dispatchers. Simply because I have little idea of how such a dispatcher would form a contingent for his agency. In the years I worked, there was no social media. No, only those whom they know personally are signed up for such work, and the briefing is carried out face to face. In the 90s and early 2000s, none of the ordinary bandits had ever heard of encryption devices and crypto-smartphones. But even the most narrow-minded people guessed that an ordinary phone could be tapped by the police or competitors. What you have said is possible only within the framework of a state structure or a special service.
"Pretend to be a plumber, police officer, road worker or pizza delivery man - why not?"

- According to the philistine idea, inspired by movies and video games, a person whose face has become familiar and who is probably known in certain circles is not suitable for serious matters. How do they deal with such cases? Are they calling killers from a friendly group in another city on a business trip? Or do they not bother and take those who are at hand?

- Depending on the situation. If, for example, a faction is split into factions, you can take part in the conflict by joining one of the opposing camps. Here the choice is made for moral (who is right) or material considerations (who will pay more). So in this case, the local, who may even be one of his former comrades, will also fit the role of the killer.
In the case of ordering a serious goal in the conditions of a visible "peace" in the city, of course, it is better to resort to the services of third-party specialists, secretly contacting partners from other cities.

- Do you often have to resort to disguise? Is it okay to dress in some bumpy bodyguard, waiter, or janitor's uniform and not get burned? And what about makeup, wigs and fake wrinkles? I heard that one of your colleagues specially grew long hair and a beard so that after completing the assignment, they could be shaved off, radically changing the appearance.

- Dressing up is a completely normal practice. The main thing is to look so as not to arouse suspicion. A bodyguard or a waiter - this most likely will not give a ride: there are hardly more than one or two dozen colleagues in the craft, and everyone knows each other by sight. But to pretend to be a plumber, police officer, road worker or pizza delivery man - why not?
But during the years of my work, I basically had to work without such problems and rely more not on camouflage, but on the effect of surprise. As for the make-up, it was always possible to come to one of the provincial theaters. Make-up artists in the 90s eked out a miserable existence and for a small fee could professionally change you so that your own mother would not recognize.

- On the eve of the assignment, the agency provides Hitman with photographs and videos of the target, information about her habits, the places where she is, as well as about possible opposition. What information would you consider sufficient for liquidation?

- The license plate and the brand of the car would be enough for me. But here you need to make an allowance for the fact that I worked in the mid-90s and early 2000s in relatively small cities, when there were relatively few cars. If a person lives in a city, there are always sleeping areas and a business center - two or three streets, where the largest shops, restaurants and entertainment establishments are concentrated. In the center, the target will definitely appear within a week. You just need to wait for this moment and choose the most favorable time for action.
If all conceivable information on the goal is provided - photos, videos, habits, favorite places, contacts - it means that the goal was ordered by someone from the inner circle, and questions already arise whether it is worth contacting such people. First, if they have so much information available, customers can do it themselves. And if they don't, most likely they expect to get rid of the performer. Secondly, this is an internal conflict, which is fraught with the fact that you can simply not get out of it, falling into the millstones of the warring factions. [The interview is again interrupted by the kid's exclamations: "Dad, dad, come on quickly, it's time for me to swim! .."]
“The man knew too much and could be dangerous. As a result, an "accident" happened to him".

- In games, simple and artless elimination of a target with a point-blank shot is estimated with the minimum number of points. Aerobatics for a killer is to set up an accident so that everyone thinks that death was due to natural causes. What about real life?

- For example, in a conflict between our factions of two neighboring streets, the leader of the opposing faction died allegedly of a heart attack. It is believed that his own comrades-in-arms got rid of him in order to end the war, which was all over the throat.
I can also recall the case of a conflict between two organized crime groups, between which stood a large businessman, who was a layer between the authorities and criminals. The man knew too much and could be dangerous. As a result, an "accident" happened to him. Since his death was beneficial to both the officials who cleaned the ends, and the bandits, who were strenuously trying to legalize themselves in business, no one went into details. Although it was clear to everyone what really happened.

- As a child, I had to come face to face with the work of killers. When I lived in Orenburg and was in ninth grade, a guy with whom we were sitting at the same desk died. Together with his friends, he stood near the entrance, to which a car drove up with a killer who riddled the merchant's car with a machine gun. The killer caught up with my friend and killed him as an unwanted witness. Are these situations common for a liquidator? Or are casual victims not encouraged by the customer?

- In my practice there were no such cases, I always tried to work cleanly. This is my attitude in life. Therefore, when taking another order, I treated my role as an extension of the gun barrel - a mechanism that does work without emotion that needs to be done. If the order is not taken by a "puremaker" like me, the job may be entrusted to scumbags like the ones you described, and then a lot of innocent blood will be shed. Target bodyguards are a borderline category. Firstly, they know what they are signing up for, and secondly, innocent sheep are rarely recruited to guard the mafia boss, so the soul does not really hurt for them.
Of course, the customer does not need extra blood to flow. But outsiders were killed, as a rule, not by serious bandits, but by the courtyard punks. It's just that in the 90s, due to easy access to weapons, many managed to rise, which led to serious excesses. The expression "monkey with a grenade" is just about such. As a rule, they did not survive the 90s. Those who are smarter managed to move away from the criminal past in time, legalize themselves, become respected businessmen or even members of the regional parliament.
As for public opinion, in the 90s no one really looked at it. Every week there were 1-2 episodes with contract killings or showdowns between groups, after which a couple of corpses remained. People are used to it.
"I treated my role as an extension of the gun barrel."

- In another cult game, Mafia, the main character is an action movie and a confidant of a criminal boss, hands over his "family" to the cops and all the dealings to the Don, gets a new identity from the police under the witness protection program and lives a new life. After 20 years, his former comrades find him and shoot him point-blank from the sawn-off shotgun, saying hello from the former boss. Are there such contract “honor killings” in reality? When does the killer first inform the target about the reasons for the execution, and only then pull the trigger?

-Sure. There were such people even in my practice. You simply explain to the person the situation where he made a mistake. As a rule, if a person got into the criminal business, he subconsciously expects how his life path can end. Therefore, in my practice, the people who were ordered felt that the punishment was deserved and accepted it with a respectable calmness.

- What are the escape routes for the killers? They are awaited in advance by smart transport, new documents and a ticket to another city where you can lay low?

- The escape routes are naturally planned in advance. First of all, after the operation, it is necessary to destroy the evidence base: wash your hands and face with alcohol so that the examination does not prove the presence of powder gases, burn clothes, get rid of weapons. Ideally, melt or deform to an unrecognizable state. In the 90s, it was popular to throw the murder weapon at a crime scene. It was considered the handwriting of a professional. What idiot came up with this - I don't know. First, it is best to leave the weapon until you are in a safe place. You never know how the situation can turn. Secondly, the trunk in the hands of the investigation is an extra piece of evidence that can lead to you in a chain.
Of course, it's better to disappear from the city for a while. First of all, from those who placed the order. The dispatcher transfers the fee to the killer in another city. It makes no sense for him to get rid of the performer: this is an experienced professional unit that can still bring a lot of money. But direct customers may be tempted to clean up the ends.

-What is the killer's lifestyle? Agent 47 from Hitman did not stick his head out, lived in a secret apartment and did not communicate with anyone. Other characters from the games, who are just thugs, but not killers, are not particularly hiding. Which option is closer to reality?

-In my case, there was a street with which I communicated and kept in touch, as well as the guys in the area. I had a good and completely legal cover - a furniture shop on the other side of the city, which I owned, and several workers who helped with both the furniture part and the shady work. Everyone knew me as an ordinary commerce person who has a serious roof and which it is better not to touch. To an uninitiated eye - a normal social life.

"If you are surrounded by crime, and murders in the area occur every second day, the value of human life in your eyes is seriously reduced."

- Man is not born with the ability to kill people. Killers have to somehow cultivate this quality in themselves, to step over moral boundaries. How do assassins train?

- First, of course, there must be prerequisites for becoming a hitman. And that a person is not born with the ability to kill, I would argue with you. For example, great boxers do not grow out of squishies who came to the boxing section, but out of yard hooligans who smashed the noses of their peers. The sports club only hones their skills. And the ability to inflict and endure pain is rather innate. For killers, everything is about the same as for boxers. Secondly, the environment in which you grow up plays a big role. If you are surrounded by crime, and murders in the area occur every second day, the value of a human life in your eyes is seriously reduced. Thirdly, we have the army and the police, where people are also working who can pull the trigger.

- In Russia, you can count on one hand the high-profile murders committed with a sniper rifle. The only thing that comes to mind is the elimination of Bobon - Sergei Babnischev, the godfather of the Orenburg mafia, whom the killer removed from 150 meters in the wasteland. They were shooting from the building of the industrial complex on the other side of the street. The first bullet pierced the head. The other two entered the back. There was practically no break between shots. But why is there so little use of sniper in life?

- Access to this weapon is extremely limited. In the 90s there was Chechnya with thieving ensigns. Then there was much more order in the accounting of weapons. Buying a hunting rifle, then staging a theft so that it would then surface in a wet case is also not an option: there are by no means fools in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and they are calculating such situations. It is unrealistic to buy products from an arms factory: they are under the strict control of special services. It is almost impossible to rob a gun shop. Firstly, it is well guarded, and secondly, there are mostly dummies in the windows, and the real trunks are in another place.
Speaking specifically about the murder of Bobon, in my opinion, a good shooter and tactician worked, but not a professional. The place and time were perfectly chosen: most likely, they watched Bobon's house and gave a signal that he went out into the street, and the firing point had been chosen in advance. At 150 meters the crosswind can be ignored. A hit from an SVD at such a distance is almost guaranteed fatal to any part of the body, so a shot in the head is an unnecessary risk, a kind of show-off. Three shots is definitely an amateur's job. A real killer would not have risked so much, knowing that the first bullet was already lethal.

- There were rumors that in the 90s many professional athletes, for example, biathletes, worked as killers. Do you know anything about this?

- No, I myself was a simple guy from the working suburbs. All my fellow men in the dangerous trade, too. Unfortunately, in my time there were no social networks where one could join professional communities and arrange discussions on work topics. Therefore, everything can be. [ laughs ]
"Why complicate your life when a shot in the head is easier and more familiar?"

- How popular is poison among killers? In the 90s, there was a case when a killer installed a cesium needle in the chair of the head of a large enterprise. Thus, the leader himself, his deputy and the secretary, who accidentally sat down in a chair, perished. Agent 47 in Hitman similarly kills a yakuza leader, disguised as a cook and improperly butchering a deadly poisonous puffer fish.

- It is very difficult. To use the poison, you have to enter the nearest environment. Basically, the killer's work is more routine, they prefer not to bother here. I can tell you about a case when a businessman who earned $ 50,000 for a couple with a childhood friend did not want to share. And for 10,000 he ordered a hitman, even giving him the keys to a friend's apartment, thus saving 15,000 dollars. The performer had the opportunity to use poison, but why complicate his life when a shot in the head is easier and more familiar?
Of course, if time and money permit, you can go this way. But for the Russian bandits, this is all too complicated.

- Where do they get hold of equipment - do they buy weapons themselves or are they provided by customers (in Hitman, for example, they often provide)?

- As a rule, provided by the customer. Since the choice of weapons is limited, you have to work with what the client has. Usually it is a pistol, less often a submachine gun. A grenade launcher or a sniper rifle in Russian realities is exotic.

- Does it happen that the client certainly wants the order to be executed from one weapon, and the killer understands that it is better to use another? For example, in one of the mentioned scenes of the game Mafia, the customer, plotting the execution of a former gangster, insists on the use of a lupara - a sawn-off shotgun, an ancient weapon of the Sicilian mafiosi.

- Of course, it happens. But here, as a rule, people are guided by the fact that there is no unjustified risk, and the goal does not survive. “From a pistol to a car window? Or maybe it is safer to blow up? "But in general, these are normal working moments, usually the customer can be persuaded.
"If I live the rest of my life with dignity, it will be credited to me in the next world."

- How do the former liquidators who had to pull the trigger and kill people live?

- If those whom they had to kill were the same bandits and deserved a bullet in an amicable way, in general, you can live with such a sin in your soul. In the shoes of people who killed wives, children and bystanders, I, thank God, did not happen to be. I atoned for my sins after serving 16 years in prison. In the same place he converted to Islam, turned to God. Now I live a normal life, I bring up two children and I hope that if I live the rest of my life with dignity, it will be reckoned for me in the next world ...