Russia’s Forces Dismantled 50 Terror Cells in SCO Member States

In a statement on Wednesday, Head of the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terror Structure Yevgeny Sysoyev added that, "From the most significant results as of today, we can mention the following: in interaction with SCO counterparts, the FSB has busted the activity of over 50 cells and 380 active members of terror organizations."

During the statement delivered att the 15th session of Prosecutors-General from the SCO member states and observer countries in St. Petersburg, he pointed out that competent bodies of Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have taken measures jointly with their partners in the SCO Regional Anti-Terror Structure since the beginning of the year to identify, detain and extradite 110 citizens on a terrorist wanted list.

In 2016, the FSB and its partners from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan cut short 40 terror-related crimes at the stage of their preparation in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Novgorod. The competent bodies of Uzbekistan and Russia exposed and busted the channels of sending recruits to the Islamic State terror organization (outlawed in Russia) and legalizing terrorists, he said.

"In addition, by their joint efforts the security services prevented the exit of 200 individuals who were going to join international terror organizations and blocked the accounts of 2,000 persons suspected of complicity in financing terrorism," Sysoyev said.

The statement came as a two-day SCO summit is set to begin Thursday in Sochi, the Russian city on the Black Sea.

SCO now comprises eight member States, namely Pakistan, China, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It has four observer states, namely Iran, Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia and six dialogue partners, namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey.