MOSCOW, March 18. /TASS/. Russia’s federal security service FSB has quashed a major underground network of bootleg firearms dealers, who operated in 16 regions across Russia.

"The federal security service and Russia’s Interior Ministry have quashed a crime ring of residents of Komi, Crimea, Yakutia, Transbaikal, Khabarovsk, Irkutsk, Kemerovo, Kirov, Omsk, Rostov, Samara, Saratov, Sakhalin, Tomsk, Tula and Chelyabinsk regions, who were involved converting civilian weapons to combat use and manufacturing ammunition," the FSB’s public relations center said.

The homes and work places of bootleg firearms dealers and weapons makers were searched. The operatives seized 193 pieces of firearms: four machine-guns, 11 assault rifles, 7 submachine-guns, 92 rifles, carbines and guns, 79 handguns and revolvers, two grenade launchers, 13 hand grenades, about 8,000 cartridges, 16 fuses, 7 kilograms of explosives, two silencers, weapon parts (barrels, locks and drums), components (bullets, cartridge cases) and equipment for manufacturing ammunition, the FSB said.

Ten underground weapon workshops were eliminated.

"The operation to expose and upset illegal activities related with the manufacturing and sale of weapons is continuing," the FSB said.