STAVROPOL. Jan 17 (Interfax-AVN) - More than 7,400 Moslem pilgrims en route to Mecca have crossed the Russian border through checkpoints of the Federal Security Service's North Caucasus Regional Border Guard Department in the past month, the department's press service told Interfax-Military News Agency on Monday.
"More than 7,400 Moslems on a hajj to Islamic holy places have legally crossed the border. Not a single militant has tried to cross the border under the disguise of a pilgrim. No one has tried to smuggle weapons or other prohibited items," a press service official said.
Most of the pilgrims have crossed the border through the Yarag-Kazmalyar and Tagirkent-Kazmalyar checkpoints on the Russian-Azerbaijani border, as well as through the Makhachkala airport, he noted.
Pilgrims will begin returning to Russia in the second half of January. "Checkpoints in the directorate's area of responsibility will pay more attention to attempts at delivering mercenaries, arms, material, financial and other values for the needs for illegal armed formations," the official said.
"Judging from the experience of the past years, such attempts are not ruled out," he stressed.
About 5,000 people going on a hajj crossed the department's area of responsibility last year.