MOSCOW. Jan 17 (Interfax-AVN) - A large danger of terrorist attacks still persists in Moscow.
The possibility of using biological, chemical, or radioactive components for perpetrating such attacks has become realistic of late, head of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) department for Moscow and the Moscow region Viktor Zakharov said on Thursday.
In the wake of the latest events in the world and the continued anti-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus, "new avenues have appeared" in the combat against the danger of terrorism in Moscow, Zakharov said. In this connection he pointed to the activity of extremist organizations in Moscow.
The situation is characterized by the presence of "small acts," Zakharov said.
In 2001, the FSB department for Moscow detained 133 people on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities, and 29 of them were later arrested and indicted, Zakharov said. In addition, 24 explosive devices and about 100 kilos of explosives were seized in Moscow and the Moscow region.
Talking about the specific results of the work done by Moscow special services, their chief recalled the prevention of a blast near the Moscow Foreign Ministry's premises, for which charges have been brought against member of the radical leftwing organization Red Youth Vanguard Danilov.
The FSB chief also mentioned the discovery of a cache containing explosives and plans for making explosive devices.
The FSB department also checked the activity of 18 public Moslem religious organizations operating in and around Moscow, found 13 of them to be in violation, and filed lawsuits on their liquidation.
Zakharov also pointed to the danger of making use of youth organizations "of a religious-extremist nature" in Moscow "for terrorist purposes."