Five members of a religious extremist organization were arrested in Karachay-Cherkessia

"The members of the criminal group spread the ideas of radical Islam, under the threat of reprisals, attempted to remove from their posts municipal officials and hatched intentions to create a state with a Sharia form of government on the territory of the North Caucasus region," the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Firearms and edged weapons, ammunition and religious literature of extremist content were seized from them.

Criminal cases have been initiated.

As the website "New Sevastopol" previously reported, one of the organizers of the Yalta cell of an extremist organization banned in Russia was detained in Crimea.

* "At-Takfir wal-Hijra" is a religious association recognized as extremist and banned on the territory of Russia (decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 09/15/2010)