An underground printing house and forged documents: the FSB stopped the activities of a group that illegally legalizes migrants

The FSB of Russia stopped the activities of a criminal group that illegally issued Russian citizenship to migrants.

This is stated in a statement by the Public Relations Center of the service.

“The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, with the military support of the National Guard and the coordination of the Moscow prosecutor’s office, as a result of a complex of operational-search measures and investigative actions, suppressed the illegal activities of an interregional ethnic group specializing in organizing the illegal stay of foreign citizens on the territory of Centralniy. Of the North-Western and Volga Federal Districts, ”the service said in a statement.

The FSB clarified that the criminals for money helped foreign citizens in the production of forged documents, the conclusion of fictitious marriages and the establishment of paternity over children who have Russian citizenship, for further registration of Russian citizenship by the migrants themselves.

“In the course of the implementation of the criminal plan, the members of the group were looking for Russian citizens who were ready to formalize fictitious marriages or paternity with foreigners for a monetary reward, after which, through the employees of the registry offices in different cities of Russia, they realized the stay of foreign citizens,” the department emphasized.

On the fact of violation of the law, the Ministry of Internal Affairs opened a criminal case.

Department officials conducted searches in relation to 42 defendants.

During the searches, the police found an underground printing house, where they seized migration documents, fake seals and stamps of government agencies, materials of shadow financial statements, as well as “money obtained illegally”.

“At present, 21 organizers and active participants in this criminal activity have been detained, investigative actions are being carried out against them, the issue of choosing a preventive measure is being decided,” the center added.

Recall that over the past few months, the Russian FSB has repeatedly reported on cases of suppression of the activities of criminal groups, terrorist cells, as well as the arrests of persons who tried to support such groups.

So, at the end of October, the security forces stopped the activities of the extremist community of right-wing radical orientation in the territory of Buryatia. 

According to the investigation, the criminals were preparing actions against government officials, law enforcement agencies, as well as against people from Central Asia living in the region.

“A criminal case has been opened against the organizer and three active participants in the structure under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.1 (“ Creation of an extremist community and participation in an extremist community ”) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation,” the FSB said.

At the end of September, the service announced the arrest of 48 illegal gunsmiths in 18 regions of Russia, involved in the smuggling of various types of weapons.

During the searches, 149 firearms, more than 27 kg of explosives, six hand grenades, 24 fuses and detonators, 20 meters of fuse and over 12 thousand cartridges of various calibers were seized.

In July, FSB officers prevented a series of terrorist attacks planned by members of the Islamic State * terrorist organization in a number of regions, including Moscow.

Two members of the conspiratorial cells were detained, six more resisted and were neutralized.

Improvised explosive devices with striking elements, firearms and edged weapons, grenades were seized from the attackers.

In April, the Russian Federal Security Service identified a cell of the terrorist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir ** in the Novosibirsk and Kemerovo regions.

“The members of the cell carried out anti-constitutional activities based on the doctrine of the creation of the so-called world caliphate, destruction of the institutions of secular society and aimed at violent overthrow of the current government,” the department noted.

The attackers also spread terrorist ideology among the inhabitants of the region, and recruited local Muslims into their ranks.

* "Islamic State" (IS, ISIS) - the organization was recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of December 29, 2014.

** "Party of Islamic Liberation" ("Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami") - the organization was recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated 02.14.2003.