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Police Smash Bomb Ring

Police announced at the weekend the preliminary results of a 10-week investigation into an organized crime group involved in the illegal production of remote-controlled explosive devices.


Mikhail Vanichkin, a police officer for the Interior Ministry told The Moscow Times that four of its members had been detained in St. Petersburg on Oct. 28. Some time later police detained two more suspects.


"After a preliminary investigation we realized how dangerous the group was," Vanichkin said.


Police established that suspects had sold 100 explosive devices to different mafia gangs and criminals. On average each bomb cost $1,500, he said.


Two engineers formed the nucleus of the crime group. One had worked at a defense enterprise where he obtained spare parts for bombs and another had been an electronics engineer.


"They are real geniuses," Vanichkin said. "One of them managed to use spare parts from home appliances."

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