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Interior Ministry starts large-scale operations on Azerbaijanâ€™s border with Russia and Georgia

06 April 2010 11:15 (UTC +04:00)

The operations have started today. The operations will cover Azerbaijanâ€™s regions bordering on Russia and Georgia. Along with the police of Oghuz, Shaki, Gakh, Zagatala, Balakan regions, interior troops have been involved in the operations. Posts have been set up in the territory of the abovementioned regions.

The regionsâ€™ police offices told APA that the aim of the operations is to reveal facts of arms and drug smuggling, determine and hold accountable the persons, who are supposed to be members of illegal armed groups. The special operations will last for a week, the people will be informed about them.

The Ministry of National Security started special operations in the north-west part of the country on April 5. As a result of the operations four have been arrested. Two of them are residents of Balakan. Their names are not publicized yet. They were detained in Katekh checkpoint. They were armed. Balakan and Zagatala police offices confirmed to APA that two gunmen had been detained in Katekh checkpoint.

Local police also strengthened security measures due to the operations conducted by the security forces in the region. There is a police post in Katekh between Zagatala and Balaken, and took control over the entrances and exit points of both regions. The security forces searched houses of the suspected people on April 5 and confiscated a large deal of arms and ammunitions. Local residents were invited to give testimony. The operations will continue for several days.

Mazim customs point on the borders between Azerbaijan and Georgia is also under the control. All transport means and passengers are examined on their arrival.

According to APA, recent special operations on the borders of Azerbaijan with Russia and Georgia relate to the metro terrorist attacks in Moscow.

The security forces detained a group of organized criminals who were planning terrorist attacks in Baku and started large-scale operations to detain other members of the group. The special forces of the Ministry of National Security conducted searches in the houses of suspects in the villages of Balakan region on border with Georgia. The Ministry of National Security rendered a group of Azerbaijani and Russian citizens, who were planning the terrorist attacks in the territory of Azerbaijan, harmless several days ago. They smuggled a large deal of arms, ammunitions and explosives to Azerbaijan.