MINSK, March 10. /TASS/. After the act of sabotage against Russia’s A-50 aircraft Belarusian police have intensified the search for those involved in the activities of extremist and terrorist organizations, the Interior Ministry’s press service said on its Telegram channel on Friday.
"After the terrorist attack in Machulishchy, on instructions from the president the Interior Ministry stepped up work against suspects involved in the activities of extremist groups and terrorist organizations," the news release says.
The Interior Ministry stressed that the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption was focused on exposing undercover cells of extremists and their accomplices, including those financing criminal activities against Belarus.
"On Thursday alone, the directorate scrutinized more than 60 people; 21 people were brought to administrative responsibility and 5 to criminal responsibility," the Interior Ministry said.
President Alexander Lukashenko earlier ordered a harsh "cleanup" throughout the country after the attack on Russia’s A-50 aircraft. Earlier, in a number of Belarusian and Russian online media carried reports of damage caused to the A-50 plane at the Machulishchy airfield near Minsk. Lukashenko said on March 7 that a small drone was used to carry out the act of sabotage. The aircraft suffered insignificant damage. The perpetrator, a citizen of Ukraine Nikolay Shvets, was detained near Minsk.