FSB reveals weapons smuggling channel from EU via Ukraine to Northern Caucasus

Residents of the Russian Federation and Ukraine supplied smuggled weapons from the European Union (EU) to Northern Caucasus. Several persons have been detained. This was reported today by the Russian FSB.

"We received the information that members (of a grouping) purchase large number of short-barrelled firearms in one of the EU countries and delivered the firearms to Ukraine," officials from the FSB have noted.

To deliver weapons to the North-Caucasian republics, the criminals used road, rail transport and post service.

According to the FSB, several citizens of Russia and Ukraine have been detained. During the detention of the suspects at the checkpoint "Donetsk-Izvarino" in the Rostov Region, FSB agents found 12 pistols with the detainees. On the same day, their possible accomplices in Northern Caucasus were detained, the RIA "Novosti" reports.

In total, according to the FSB, 39 firearms were seized.

Criminal proceedings were initiated against the suspects under Part 1 of Article 226.1 and Part 2 of Article 222 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (smuggling and illicit arms trafficking), the ITAR-TASS reports.

The exact number of the detainees has not been reported.