MOSCOW, August 13. /ITAR-TASS/. Moscow authorities will make inspection tours of large chain stores with a view to preventing trading in sanctions-covered food products brought in in a contraband manner, Aleksey Nemeryuk, head of the Moscow department for trade and services, told Izvestia.

"The chain stores currently compile lists for the City Council to indicate how many banned commodities they have available and a date by which they plan to sell them. This information will subsequently serve as an indicator for inspectors. Listed among alternative suppliers of food to chain stores are countries in Latin America, Southern Africa, and New Zealand," the newspaper writes.

"We have reached agreement with the chain stores about an amicable settlement of the process," Nemeryuk pointed out. He said retailers are busy evaluating the remaining amount of commodities banned for import and determining a timeframe for their sale. Thereby the Moscow authorities will get an indication as to when sanctions-covered commodities are due to be sold out in specific stores. If those commodities remain on sale after the established deadline, this would be a ground for an inquiry in the city and Federal security organizations.

Inspections may begin as early as in one month's time, the Moscow city official said.