Street racer justice

When a gang went on a murder spree in 2014, this was Moscow's grassroots response

In the summer of 2014, several reports started appearing in the media about an armed gang roaming the streets of Moscow's outskirts, killing drivers and passengers, but leaving behind their valuables. More than 14 people were murdered in these seemingly senseless, undeniably ruthless attacks. People soon started calling the gang "GTA," after the popular video game Grand Theft Auto. In November 2014, Russia's Federal Investigative Committee announced that it had succeeded in liquidating the gang, arresting five members and killing one. Another four were said to be on the run.

Before police dismantled "GTA," Moscow street racers on their own started patrolling Moscow's outskirts, trying to catch the gang. Ramil Sitdikov, a special photo correspondent for the Kremlin-run news agency Rossiya Sedognya, accompanied the street racers on several patrols. His photo project based on this work won third prize in the "Conflict" category of the Direct Look ("Pryamoi Vzglyad") competition, held by the Sakharov Center and the FOTODOC Center for Documentary Photography.

Meduza has published work by several other winners of the Direct Look competition, as well. For more acclaimed photography, see Ksenia Ivanova's "On the Verge," Elena Anosova's "Section," Maxim Dondyuk's "Culture of the Confrontation," and Oksana Yushko's "Familia."

Young people during a typical raid. Street racers comb the area where a murder recently occurred. Over the course of several months, the GTA gang killed at least 14 people.

Street racers search a suspicious vehicle parked at a gas station along the M4 highway. The street racers inspect almost all the gas stations along the highway. (It's thought that the GTA gang finds its victims while they're filling up at the pump.)

One of the men participating in the street racers' raids.

The illegal use of weapons, gross traffic violations, and deadly threats are all just some of the illegal acts committed by the street racers during their night raids.

Street racers inspect the documents of a random driver.

A street racer combs the brush.

A man sits in a van outfitted for police use, while his documents are reviewed. In a single night, the street racers stop as many as 30 cars. Most drivers are released without incident, after an inspection. Those who refuse to show their documents, however, are forced to submit to a rather rude and uncompromising inspection of their vehicles.

A street racer combs a gas station with his trusty crowbar in hand. Men conduct these searches armed with bats, knives, and firearms.

A driver's car is inspected.

A street racer scans the forest during a raid. It was thought that the killers might hide their cars in the trees and bushes along the highway.

A driver submits to an inspection of his vehicle.