Law enforcement agencies have liquidated an organized gang underground in the North Caucasus, the Director of the FSB of Russia Alexander Bortnikov told at a meeting with the President of the Russian Federation.
"I would like to note that through our joint efforts we have managed to eradicate organized criminal groups in the North Caucasus," Bortnikov said.
Bortnikov noted that this has helped ensure security at such large international forums and competitions in Russia as the 2013 Universiade in Kazan, the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, the European championships in 2018.
The FSB Director added that Over the past decade, the Agency has prevented 159 terrorist attacks.
"Over the past decade [since 2010], we have prevented 698 terrorism-related crimes, including 159 actual terrorist attacks," Bortnikov said.
According to him, "these results were achieved thanks to both the personnel of the federal operations headquarters and the entire system built by the NAC."
The FSB is also focused on exposing aiding and abetting groups and intercepting the sponsorship of terrorist activity. "Our records show that over these past ten years, we have exposed 728 cases involving sponsorship of terrorist activity and all of this activity has been suppressed," Bortnikov said.
He also noted that terrorist activity in Russia has been reduced tenfold.
" As a result of this work, but unfortunately at the cost of big problems and losses, we have managed to reduce terrorist activities in Russia, above all in the North Caucasus," Bortnikov said.
While 778 crimes of a terrorist nature were reported in 2010, last year we recorded only four. "Of course, we cannot be one-hundred-percent certain that our work will completely eliminate the terrorist threat but we are striving for that," Bortnikov added.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS