Russian authorities foiled at least 50 terrorist crimes in 2019

Russian law enforcement agencies have prevented 50 terrorist crimes from happening so far this year, Director of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov said Tuesday.

“This year, the downward trend in the number of terrorist crimes continued. Coordinated actions by law enforcement agencies prevented the vast majority of terrorist manifestations,” Bortnikov, who is also chairman of the National Anti-Terrorism Committee, said at a meeting of the committee.

This year three terrorist crimes were committed, down from nine in 2018, he said, adding that propaganda and recruitment of terrorism, hostage taking, bomb threats also fell.

This year, intelligence agencies revealed 78 conspiratorial cells of international terrorist organizations operating in Russia, Bortnikov said.

During counter-terrorist operations this year, 32 bandits were killed, while 41 bandits, 241 militants and 606 accomplices were detained, he said.

The Interior Ministry, the FSB and the National Guard eliminated 83 illegal workshops for the production and conversion of weapons and neutralized 8 criminal groups that trafficked weapons and ammunition, he added.

Source: Xinhua Net