MOSCOW, March 20. /ITAR-TASS/. The Federal Security Service (FSB) has busted a channel of arms smuggling from the EU to Russia via Ukraine, the FSB public relations center told Itar-Tass on Thursday.
“In an operation to expose and bust channels of illegal circulation of firearms and their parts, the Federal Security Service has exposed arms smuggling from EU states to Russia via Ukraine by vehicles, rail and postal operators,” the FSB public relations center reported.
In an operation to trace down an international criminal group, the Federal Security Service had obtained information about purchase of a large amount of short-barrelled firearms which was brought to Ukraine as country’s law enforcement agencies failed to curb arms smuggling, and then was delivered to North Caucasian republics in caches planted in cars.
Thanks to information obtained in the special operation, FSB agents detained several Ukrainian and Russian citizens who were members of a criminal group at international motor border-crossing station Donetsk-Izvarino in southern Russia’s Rostov-on-Don region.
In a check of the car bandits used 12 pistols, including Beretta, Desert Eagle, Hogue Grips, Smith & Wesson, Taurus, Sig Sauer, MAB, SF-XD were confiscated from a cache planted in the car, the public relations center reported.
On the same day, other two members of the criminal group were caught red-handed in an attempt to sell weapons previously delivered to a North Caucasian republic.
FSB investigative department opened criminal cases for smuggling and illegal circulation of weapons against members of the criminal group.
The operation to bust channels of weapons smuggling from foreign countries continues, the FSB public relations centre added.