MOSCOW, October 25. /TASS/. Operatives of the Russian Interior Ministry’s Main Criminal Investigation Department have liquidated a workshop of illegal arms producers in southwest Moscow, the ministry’s press office told TASS on Tuesday.

"Operatives of the Russian Interior Ministry’s Main Criminal Investigation Department and the Federal Security Service have carried out searches in Moscow and the Moscow Region at the places of residence of four lawbreakers to find and seize 22 pistols of various modifications, a Kalashnikov submachine gun, 4 rifles, 23 guns, electric detonators, 2 kilograms of gunpowder, over 200 cartridges of various caliber, five silencers, 195 cartridges of various caliber, basic parts for the TT pistol and the Nagant revolver, and also a machine tool for producing ammunition," the Interior Ministry said.

The law-enforcement officers have also found a workshop for remaking and producing firearms and ammunition.

"It was located in an apartment of a residential building in Academician Kapitsa Street. During the search in the apartment of a 25-year-old Muscovite, the law-enforcers found and seized components for forearms and cartridges, locksmith’s tools, fittings for self-made cartridge reloading, and also a notebook, flashcards and a mobile phone," the press office said.

Investigative and search measures were also carried out in the Republic of Dagestan in the North Caucasus where the police found and seized two TT and PM pistols, over a thousand cartridges of various caliber, and liquidated an underground workshop for arms production.

Law enforcement agencies nab illegal arms dealers in Russia

Russia’s Federal Security Service has held a joint operation with the country’s Interior Ministry to nab illegal arms dealers in 24 Russian regions, the FSB’s press office said on Tuesday.

The joint operation busted the activity of members of an interregional criminal group complicit in the production and sale of firearms, their basic parts and ammunition, the FSB press office said.

"As a result of a special operation on the territory of the Tver Region, the law-enforcers detained the organizers of criminal business engaged in the production and sale of basic parts for firearms and ammunition. Simultaneously, 54 searches were held in 24 regions of the country on the premises of persons complicit in the acquisition, sale and modernization of destruction means," the FSB press office said, adding that the activity of eight workshops for ammunition production and arms upgrade had been busted.

"As a result of the operation, the law-enforcement officers seized more than 2,500 foreign-and Russian-made firearms: a Kalashnikov hand-held machinegun, 19 automatic rifles, 7 pistols-machineguns, 72 carbines and rifles, 152 pistols and revolvers (Glock, CZ, Beretta, Colt, Browning, Grand Power, Walther, Norinco, PM, TT, Stechkin, PSM and Nagant), including arms with silencers," the FSB press office said.

The law-enforcers have also seized grenades, basic parts and components for the production of over 170 arms, more than 15,000 cartridges of various caliber, more than 20 kilograms of explosives and ignition means.

Investigative units of the FSB and the Interior Ministry have opened criminal cases. The arms seized in the security operation have been sent for a technical and ballistic expert study, after which decisions will be made on instituting additional criminal cases against suspects and their accomplices.

Currently, additional investigative and search measures are underway to procedurally prove the unlawful activity of the criminal group members and their contacts, the FSB press office said.