LYUBERTSY, Moscow Region. July 23 (Interfax-AVN) - The Chechen police have recently solved a number of widely reported major crimes, Russian Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov has announced.
"Several cases have been solved indicating that the Chechen police are working effectively and are capable of guaranteeing the security of the people," he told reporters on Wednesday.
Gryzlov said that since the beginning of July, the Interior Ministry group in Chechnya has killed 32 rebels and detained 58 others. In addition, 92 land mines have been neutralized.
The minister reminded reporters that steps are being taken to transfer control over the anti-guerilla operation in Chechnya from the Federal Security Service to the Interior Ministry.
"A presidential decree is now in the making on the appointment of the head of the regional headquarters" for the anti-terrorist operation, he added.
Gryzlov also reported successful efforts to undermine economic support for the rebels. For instance, the head of a criminal gang printing counterfeit dollars was detained in Grozny. "81,000 blank sheets for counterfeit USD100 banknotes were seized," the minister said.
A secret print shop was discovered in Shali district, and about USD1m counterfeit dollars were seized, he said.
Counterfeit dollars totaling about half a million dollars have also been confiscated in Krasnodar and Stavropol territories and Kabardino-Balkaria, Gryzlov said.