Russian mafia chief killed

The leader of one of Russia’s most important mafia organisations was on Thursday shot dead by an unknown assailant in central Moscow, national news agencies reported, quoting a security source.

Aslan Usoyan, 73, otherwise known as “Grandpa Hassan”, was injured by gunshots as he was leaving a residential building and died from his wounds in the ambulance, the same source said.

“Grandpa Hassan” is said to be one of the most influential mafia leaders in Russia and controlled several criminal groups in the volatile North Caucasus region.