MOSCOW. March 11 (Interfax) - Citizens of Uzbekistan who, according to information possessed by law enforcement agencies, are members of the Moscow division of the international terrorist organization Islamic Party of Turkestan, which recruits militants in Afghanistan, have been detained in Moscow.
"Abdulkhofiz Kholmurodov, a citizen of Uzbekistan, was detained on March 1. According to information possessed by law enforcement agencies, he led the Moscow division of the international terrorist organization Islamic Party of Turkestan," a source in the police told Interfax on Monday.
The source said Kholmurodov was on an interstate wanted persons list on suspicion of violating Article 159 of the Uzbek Criminal Code (overthrowing the constitution system) and Article 244-2 of the Uzbek Criminal Code (administration or participation in illegal activities by religious and extremist organizations).
An official with the Interior Ministry's press center said Kholmurodov was detained by officials from the Interior Ministry's department for the prevention of extremism, police officers from the Interior Ministry's department for the Moscow Marynsky Park department, and Federal Security Service officials during a special operation to determine the leaders and members of divisions of the international terrorist organization Islamic Party of Turkestan (previously known as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan) who are active on the territory of the Moscow region and who recruit and transfer people to militant camps in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Arab countries.
"The detainee used counterfeit documents for conspiracy. A forged Tajik passport was found on him when he was detained," the source said.
Kholmurodov was placed in a temporary detention facility, the source said. He will be extradited to Uzbekistan.