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Russian, Belarusian security services crack down on arms supply chain

The mastermind and six active members of the criminal gang were caught red-handed on December 5-6, according to the FSB

© Russian Federal Security Service's Center for Public Relations/TASS

MOSCOW, December 6. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Security Service has detained a chieftain of an international criminal group and its six members who illegally supplied weapons, ammunition and drugs from abroad, the FSB press service said on Friday.

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"The FSB jointly with the Belarusian State Security Committee has cracked down on the illegal activity of an international criminal group, linked to smuggling weapons, ammunition and drugs from abroad. On December 5-6, the organizer of this criminal group and its six active members were caught red-handed when selling a batch of weapons and ammunition in the Novgorod and Leningrad regions," the FSB reported.

During the operation, a Degtyaryov machine gun, a Shpagin submachine gun, three pistols and nearly 60 rounds of ammunition as well as drugs (amphetamine and cocaine) and more than $26,000 in cash were seized.

An effort is now underway to identify and locate their suspected accomplices, the FSB said.

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