Criminal network crushed in Central, Northwestern fed districts - FSB
MOSCOW. May 21 (Interfax) - The Federal Security Service (FSB) in cooperation with the Interior Ministry has crushed an inter-regional criminal network involved in a series of grave crimes, including the illegal production of weapons, ammunition and explosives, in the Central and Northwestern federal districts, the FSB has reported.
"The FSB and Interior Ministry have held a joint special operation in St. Petersburg and in the Tver, Smolensk, Pskov and Novgorod regions, which led to the detention of an organized criminal group. More than 100 firearms, 35 kilograms of explosives, 20 explosive devices, over 10,000 pieces of ammunition were seized," the FSB's Public Relations Center said in a statement received by Interfax on Tuesday.
Four illegal facilities for manufacturing and upgrading gas and pneumatic weapons were discovered and closed down in the Tver and Novgorod regions. Components for manufacturing over 100 firearms were confiscated.
"Illegal weapon and ammunition delivery channels to Russian regions from neighboring countries and Baltic states have been tracked down," the FSB said.
The crushed criminal network had been playing a leading role on the weapons black market in the Central and Northwestern districts, it said.
Five criminal cases have been started.