Special services arrest a terrorist's relative, involved in Moscow hostage drama in 2002

The brother of a Chechen female terrorist, who was killed during the hostage crisis in Moscow theatre in October 2002, was arrested in the city of Irkutsk, Siberia.

23-year-old man is reported to be a native of Chechnya. The police detained the man along with two of his country-fellows. The police found a number of Arabic books on radical Islam with the detainees.

While conducting an operation for the prevention of terrorist activities, the police used a tip-off on the whereabouts of the alleged criminals, who had been staying in town without an official residence permit.

The police is currently checking the information about the detainees' possible involvement in criminal activities.

The siege of the music theatre in Moscow in 2002 resulted in heavy losses. 129 hostages were killed in the special operation and nearly 700 hostages were wounded. About 40 hostage-takers were killed in the process.