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Russia’s security services bust groups complicit in arms and explosives deliveries

The FSB and the Interior Ministry have shut down the activity of nine workshops producing ammunition

MOSCOW, December 15. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Interior Ministry have foiled the activity of criminal groups in various Russian regions complicit in organizing illegal channels of arms, ammunition and explosives supplies, the FSB press office said on Friday.

The FSB and the Interior Ministry conducted raids against 44 suspects in 14 Russian regions, from south Russia to the Primorye Region in the Far East, the FSB press office said.

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"The Federal Security Service and the Interior Ministry have jointly foiled the illegal activity of groups and individuals operating in various regions of Russia and complicit in organizing illegal and steady channels of arms deliveries," the press office said in a statement.

"As a result, 148 firearms of foreign and Russian make were withdrawn from the illegal trade: a Degtyaryov light machinegun, ten automatic guns, 11 submachine-guns, 27 carbines and rifles, 100 pistols and revolver guns, including with silencers, basic parts and components for producing over 300 firearms, more than 2,000 munitions of various caliber, over 10 kg of explosives and ignitors," the FSB’s press office said.

The FSB and the Interior Ministry have shut down the activity of nine workshops producing ammunition, and also remaking and repairing civilian guns of limited destruction power into combat weapons, the FSB said.

The investigative bodies of the FSB and the Interior Ministry are carrying out measures to open criminal cases under the Russian Criminal Code’s article 222 ("The illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation or bearing of firearms, their basic parts and ammunition"), article 222.1 ("The illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation or bearing of explosives or explosive devices") and article 223 ("The Illegal manufacture of weapons").

Investigative measures are underway for procedurally documenting the detainees’ illegal activity, identify their criminal ties and find other facts of their possible complicity in other crimes on the territory of Russia.

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