MOSCOW. May 11 (Interfax-AVN) - The joint actions of Russian law enforcement agencies in early May have helped frustrate terrorists' criminal plans and make sure that peace and order prevailed in Russia during celebrations of the May holidays, says an official release of the National Anti-Terror Committee circulated on Thursday.
"First reports about plans by leaders of criminal armed group and their accomplices to stage a series of terror attacks during the celebrations of the Orthodox Easter, May Day and Victory Day were obtained in March," the release says.
Nikolai Patrushev, the Committee's chairman and director of the Federal Security Service, ordered to intensify all-round anti-terror measures, and he forwarded the relevant instructions to regional anti-terror commissions and headquarters. Special emphasis was put on the Southern Federal District.
The release says that over 30,000 citizens, 6,000 houses and 7,000 motor vehicles had been checked in coordinated search and special preventatives operations. As a result, 86 terrorists were tracked down, 74 of them were arrested, and 12 were destroyed when they offered armed resistance. In addition, 26 caches containing large amounts of firearms, equipment, means of communication, food and medicines, were uncovered.
Over 113 kilograms of explosives, ten improvised bombs, 12 grenade launchers, and 236 other types of weapons, as well as maps showing spots where bombs could be planted near public buildings, were seized.
Given the persisting terror threats, the National Anti-Terror Committee will discuss measures to make control over counter-terror operations in the North Caucasus more effective at its next meeting.