Over 50 terrorist groups members and chiefs arrested in Chechnya over 6 months in 2002

More than 50 terrorist groups' active members and chiefs were arrested by the Main Anti-Organized Crime Department (GUBOP) officers in Chechnya over six months in 2002, Yury Demidov, first Deputy Head of the Russian Federation Interior Ministry GUBOP, stated at a briefing on Tuesday.

Among the arrestees are terrorists Ruslan Daudov, alias Snegir (Bullfinch) and a certain Idrisov, aka Shurup (Screw), who committed over 10 terrorist acts and grave crimes with respect to federal forces, Demidov said.

According to him, "the analysis of the operational situation shows that the criminal rate and terrorist activity do not decrease in Chechnya." In this connection, the Russian Ministry of the Interior is taking "maximally active measures to liquidate the terrorist groups' financing channels and identify and exterminate the leaders of terrorist groups," Demidov announced.

"In spite of the complexity of the situation, permanent regional interior departments, that will cope with tasks imposed on them, are being formed in the republic," Demidov underlined.