Cop Killer Had Ties to Russia
The man responsible for yesterday's slaying of a Security Police officer in a firefight in otherwise tranquil southern Estonia had ties to the cross-border arms trade, said Minister of the Interior Ken-Marti Vaher.
"This was cross-border arms trading," said Vaher at the government press conference on May 5. "The question is which borders. The shooter who was killed yesterday had certain ties with Russia."
He said the case involved professional organized crime aimed at profiting from arms and explosives trading.
The police had had their eye on the movement of weapons and explosives for some time, said Vaher. The law enforcement officers went to the farm yesterday, May 4, but were not planning to make any arrests.
When the shooting started, a number of weapons had already been surrendered, having been removed from caches. The people outside the house were said to be cooperating. But a family member inside the house who was not directly known to be linked to the case then opened fire. In the shooting, Security Police officer Tarmo Laul received fatal injuries. Two other officers were wounded; their condition is not life-threatening.
It was conjectured in the May 5 Postimees that the building served as a warehouse, and Vaher said that seemed to be the case.
The suspect and owner of the house, Peeter Waaks, was apprehended later on May 4 near the Estonian-Russian border, Vaher said.
Kristopher Rikken