ASTANA. April 16 (Interfax-AVN) - Kazakh and Russian border guards have launched a joint special operation, Putina-2008, in the Caspian region.
The first stage, launched on April 1, will last until the end of April, the border service of the Kazakh National Security Committee told Interfax-AVN.
Since April 1, Kazakh and Russian border guards have detained 22 persons for illegally crossing the border, and have seized 1.5 tonnes of fish and 3.5 kilometers of fishing nets, as well as 10 tonnes of ferrous metals and 216 pieces of golden jewelry.
The border service also said that Kazakh and Russian border guards detained 683 people during the Putina-2007 operation, including 184 in the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea. Last year, border guards prevented 14 smuggling attempts, stopped 11 vessels and 165 boats. Over 12 tonnes of sturgeon, more than 2.5 tonnes of ordinary fish, and 160 kilograms of caviar were seized from poachers, the service said.