additional 31bn rubles were collected to the federal budget in 2000

As a result of activities of the Russian Federal Tax Police Service additional 31bn rubles (about $1.1bn) were collected to the federal budget in 2000, Director of the Federal Tax Police Service Vyacheslav Soltaganov announced at a press conference in Moscow today. 9,000 out of 30,000 criminal cases which had been filed by the tax police were closed right after all necessary taxes were paid to the budget. That made 18bn rubles (about $643.5m) in total. "Activities of the tax police are mainly based on the principle of replacing losses and doesn't lay emphasis on repressive measures," Soltaganov was cited by RBC as saying. In particular, the police never turns to arrests except for those cases when the accused are trying to escape the justice.