GROZNY. Aug 9 (Interfax-AVN) - Chechen law enforcement is looking for a consignment of arms, specifically portable anti- aircraft systems and remote-controlled land mines that were moved from Georgia's Pankisi gorge into the city of Grozny and the Kurchalloi and Urus-Martan districts in early August, an official in the Chechen Interior Directorate told Interfax-Military News Agency on Friday.
Rebels also have access to poisonous substances that they have threatened to use against mountain villagers if they cooperate with federal units, he said.
The temporary press center of the Russian Interior Ministry in the North Caucasus told Interfax-AVN on Friday that interior units had exposed several caches with arms and ammo in Chechnya in the past 24 hours. In particular, a cache was destroyed in a Christian cemetery in Grozny's Oktyabrsky district. The cache was owned by warlord Magomed Tsagarayev, who had been destroyed before. It contained three portable machine-guns, a Kalashnikov assault rifle, seven grenade launchers, a submachine-gun, two pistols, about 20 mines, a sniper rifle, hunting rifles and a large number of cartridges.
A camp for 50 rebels was found in the vicinity of the Gezinchu and Sherdy-Mokhk villages in the Vedeno district. Local residents told federals about the camp. More than 500 electric detonators, 18 contact-makers for explosive devices, six ready-to-explode landmines, plunge batteries, more than 40 grenades for an underbarrel grenade launcher, several thousand cartridges and 80kg of explosives were seized from the hiding place. In addition, the camp contained tents, foodstuffs, sets of camouflaged uniform and sleeping-bags.
Arms and ammo were also seized in the town of Argun and in the Kokadoi village in the Itum-Kale district.
A total of seven Kalashnikov assault rifles, four pistols, three machine-guns, nine grenade launchers, a large number of mines and shells and dozens of thousands of cartridges were confiscated on Thursday, the press center said.
Federals seized 83.6kg of TNT from caches in various Chechen districts.
"It confirms that rebels were planning large-scale subversive and terrorist acts in Chechnya," the press center said.