Russian Border Guards Block Channels Of Financial Aid To Chechen Terrorists

The Russian Federal Border Guard's (FPS) main task now is to deprive Chechen separatists of foreign financial assistance, said FPS director, general Konstantin Totsky at a Thursday briefing. According to him, border guards are doing their best to block channels of cash smuggling via the Russian border. However, efforts on the part of all secret services are essential to fully block financial streams. Besides, FPS officers are cutting off arms and ammunition delivery channels, discovering incidents of foreign mercenaries penetrating the territory of the republic. Last year border guards discovered such groups numbering 38-80 men each. In December, 43 Iranian citizens were detained at the Krasnodar airport on a flight from Dubai, on suspicion of intending to join Chechen militants. All of them were deported. Last year Russian FPS officers, together with other power agencies, conducted 12 special operations that resulted in detaining 301 state border trespassers. Over 23,000 ammunition units and over 14 tons of explosive devices sent to Russia were intercepted as well.