RUSSIAN MINISTER OF INTERIOR: COORDINATION BETWEEN THE MINISTRY AND ARMENIAN POLICE INSUFFICIENT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian Minister of Internal Affairs Rashid Nurgaliyev considers the level of coordination between the Ministry and the Police of Armenia insufficient in struggling against organized crime. He stated it when addressing the united board of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Police of Armenia in Krasnodar today. In his words, this has a negative impact on the efficiency of struggle against organized criminal groups that have interstate ties. The Russian Minister added that considerable gaps in the normative and legal regulation of the work of the two ministries, as well as in the forming of an interstate information bank are available. Thus the control of the quality of documents is not sufficient. As indicated by Mr. Nurgaliyev, the scale of crime in Russia and Armenia is an actual threat to sustainable social and economic development and political stability of the two states. "Struggle against crime that has not limits and knows no moral principles demands joint practical steps: working out specific measures aimed at combating organized crime, drug business, extremism and terrorism," he stated. He said he was sure the current meeting will also promote successful solution of those issues. Head of the Police of Armenia Hayk Harutyunyan agreed with Rashid Nurgaliyev. "The potential is not used to all its abilities in the cooperation and there are a range of unsolved problems," he said, noting that the established tradition of cooperation between the two ministries continue their dynamic development. Thus, in Harutyunyan's words, Armenia has taken into custody 37 persons, three of them are already delivered to the Russian party. Within the 5 months of 2005 Russia has fulfilled 16 inquiries of the Police of Armenia. Last year Armenian policemen have detained 50 persons, 4 of them are already conveyed to Russia - the initiator of the search. 41 persons being searched for by the Armenian Police were detained in Russia last year, Harutyunyan reported. Activities of 91 criminal groups, which included citizens of Russia and Armenia, were stopped in Russia in 2004. 108 criminal cases, including 45 of economic nature and 29 referring to facts of illegal drug turnover, are filed against participants of these groups. 210 persons, including 36 leaders of organized gangs were called to account, reported RIA Novosti.