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Group of Islamic extremists detained in Moscow

They were preparing “the Second Righteous Caliphate” in Russia

The activity of the international religious organisation Islamic Renaissance Party or Hizb ut-Tahrir has been suppressed in Moscow. It was recognised as terrorist by the Supreme Court of Russia and banned in the country. The leaders of this organisation, the press service of the Russian Interior Ministry’s (MVD) main anti-extremism department (GUPE) reported, were engaged in active recruiting activities in mosques in Moscow and distributing extremist literature.

Detectives arrested in Moscow six active members of the group, the Rossiyskaya Gazeta daily reported. Searches have been made in their apartments where policemen found and seized nine grenades, weapons, ammunition, extremist literature and recruitment instructions. At the end of August, an alleged member of an international terrorist organisation Islamic Movement of Turkestan was arrested in the RF capital. According to MVD main department for the Central Federal District, the citizen of Tajikistan was on the international wanted list since 2004.

The Komsomolskaya Pravda daily reported that the mosque in Prospekt Mira was one of the gathering sites for the radicals. There they prayed on Fridays and exchanged information. They were preparing “the Second Righteous Caliphate” in Russia. In total, six active members of the group were detained during police operations in Moscow. During their detention they could not offer resistance to the police special force officers.

The RF Interior Ministry told the publication that the suspects came into view of the law enforcement agencies six months ago, the Vechernyaya Moskva writes. During this time, the operatives managed to document their illegal activities. “All of them lived in Moscow in rented apartments in various locations,” the Interior Ministry said. During the search the police found in their apartments manuals on recruitment with detailed instructions of how to communicate with people, in order to involve them in the organisation. According to the police, the newly recruited people, depending on their psychological type, were prepared for committing a terrorist act or for propaganda activity.

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