KALININGRAD, May 23. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has detained eight natives of Central Asia in the Russian westernmost Kaliningrad region suspected of helping terrorists, the FSB regional department’s press service said on Wednesday.

"During a special operation, eight natives from republics of Central Asia were detained as they had been allegedly involved in the Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad terrorist group, an affiliate of the Islamic State international terrorist organization banned in Russia, and had been recruiting on behalf of emissaries of the above-mentioned terrorist community," the press service said.

Two of the detained persons were established to have maintained contacts via private groups on popular apps (including the Telegram messaging app) with members of illegal groups operating in Syria. Following their orders, the suspects urged the Kaliningrad region’s residents to participate in the terrorist organization.

During searches in the detainees’ flats, computers, mobile devices, propagandistic video materials and banking cards were found and confiscated. The FSB found the persons staying in contact with a foreigner who left the region for Syria in 2016 to fight for international terrorist groups.

Criminal cases might be opened against two suspects on charges of the soliciting, recruiting or other involvement of a person for committing any of the terrorism-related crimes under Article 205.1 of the Russian Criminal Code and against the other three suspects on charges of a failure to report a crime under Article 205.6.

The remaining three persons are to be deported from Russia, according to the FSB regional department’s press service.