ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
March 16, 2005 Wednesday

Russia, Armenia help US operation to stop arms smuggling

By Oksana Polishchuk

NEW YORK

The operation of the US’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to
stop the smuggling of arms from the former Soviet republics and
Eastern European countries was assisted by authorities of Russia and
Armenia, federal attorney David Kelly told reporters on Tuesday.

He said the mostly Russian-made arms had been bought in Georgia,
Armenia and some Eastern European countries.

Criminal charges have been brought against 18 suspects, 17 of whom
have been arrested, Kelly said.

The group smuggled into the US, via New York, Los Angeles and Miami,
Kalashnikov submachine guns, grenade-launchers and portable
anti-aircraft systems.

It planned selling homing missiles alone for 2 million dollars.

The FBI conducted the operation during a year, engaging an informant
in it, who posed as a buyer of arms allegedly linked to the terrorist
net Al-Qaeda, the federal attorney went on to say.

About 15,000 telephone talks were wiretapped during the operation.

The FBI man in particular tried to find out whether the smugglers
could get hold of nuclear materials, but no confirmation of such a
possibility had been got, Kelly said.

Before arrest, the criminals had offloaded in the US eight
machine-guns, as well as Ak-47 Kalashnikov submachine-guns and USI
rifles, the attorney said.

The arrests have stopped the criminal activity of several arms
traders and shut down a potential international channel through which
the arms could find a way into the hands of civilians and terrorists,
Kelly stressed.

The arrested people have been charged with collusion aimed at
establishing routes of illegal arm transportation.

Thirteen of the arrested have been accused of supplying arms for
transportation.