19.01.2000 12:00 CENTRAL BUREAU OF INTERPOL ACTIVITIES IN RUSSIA ON FIGHTING AGAINST INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM
VLADIMIR V. GORDIYENKO - Head of Central bureau of Interpol in Russia, Major General of Militia
GORDIYENKO: Eighty citizens of Russia have been put on the Interpol wanted list in connection with developments in Chechnya. The first proceedings were instituted after the Budennovsk tragedy under several articles, including terrorism, banditry, mass unrest, murders and kidnapping. Fourteen persons, including Basayev, were put on the international wanted list in the framework of this case.
The Office of the General Prosecutor is working on the case involving the attack on Kizlyar, with two persons, Raduyev and Israpiyev, put on the international wanted list. Proceedings were also instituted over the developments in the Botlikh region of Daghestan last year, under the articles of terrorism, banditry, the organisation of an illegal armed formation, and attempts on the life of the staff of law-enforcement agencies. Seventeen persons are wanted under this case.
Two persons were put on the international wanted list under the case instituted by the Prosecutor office of the Tsumadinsky region, concerning the armed attack last August, for the organisation of an illegal armed formation, the theft, illegal acquisition and storage of weapons. Three persons - Ali Sultan Salekhov, Magomed Salekhov and Isa Zeilutdinov, are wanted in connection with the explosion in Buinaksk.
The investigation department of the Federal Security Service (FSB) is working on the explosions in Moscow, with two persons, Denis Saitakov and Achemez Gochiyarov, wanted. The case instituted after the explosion in Volgodonsk includes accusations of terrorism, the illegal acquisition and storage of weapons and explosives. The investigation department of the FSB directorate for the Rostov region is investigating the latter case. Three persons - Yusuf Shamkhalov, Timur Bachayev and Adam Dikushev - have been put on the international wanted list.
Following the events in the villages of Karamakhi and Chabanmakhi in the Buinaksk region of Daghestan, the Prosecutor office of the Buinaksk region instituted proceedings under two articles: the organisation of an illegal armed formation and the illegal acquisition and storage of weapons and explosives, with 23 persons put on the international wanted list. Criminal proceedings were launched under Article 279 - an armed revolt, following the invasion of the Novolaksky region of Daghestan, which is being investigated by the Main Directorate of the General Prosecutor Office for the North Caucasus. Nine persons were put on the international wanted list under this case.
The last case, on the events in the Karabudakhentsky region of Daghestan, is the responsibility of the investigation department of the Daghestani Interior Ministry, with five persons put on the international wanted list.
These are the ten cases, which are being investigated under special international control.
Interpol started fighting terrorism in the 1950s, when several planes were hi-jacked. The Interpol staff was recommended to make corresponding proposals to their government on reinforcing the security regime in airports. These recommendations played a positive part, but the problem of terrorism grew in scale. The 54th session of the Interpol General Assembly, held in Washington in 1985, decided to train heads of national Interpol bureaus.
We saw the need to improve the system in the past ten years, as terrorist acts became better organised, more ruthless and global in scale. There is not a single region in the world, which would not have this problem now. Special units are held in permanent readiness even in the relatively stable Europe, and strenuous efforts being taken to prevent acts of terrorism.
A special department has been set up in Interpol's General Secretariat, in the Lyons headquarters, to sum up information on terrorism and draft corresponding recommendations. These documents are highly useful for police structures, as they enable them to effectively take counter-terrorist measures in their countries.
The Russian law-enforcement agencies took serious measures following the explosions in Moscow. A special operational inter-departmental staff of representatives of all law-enforcement agencies was set up. Corresponding measures should also be taken by the Economic Ministry at the enterprises connected with the production and circulation of weapons in order to prevent terrorist acts. This is a federal problem.
Of great significance is the legislative solution of this problem. Law-makers have been tackling the problem of terrorism more harshly. Israel is a fine example in this respect. It took the harshest possible measures to counter terrorism from the very beginning, and the number of terrorist acts there plummeted.
REN-TV: Can you boast of progress in finding Shamil Basayev, Salman Raduyev and others?
GORDIYENKO: We forwarded information about these persons, complete with their photographs and full data, to all Interpol countries. The system of international search is put into effect when such persons cross the national border or are seen on the territory of another state. Since they remain on the territory of Russia, the system of international search is working in the warning regime.
ITAR-TASS: Interpol is also trying to determine the sources of the terrorists' money. Have you scored any successes in this sphere?
GORDIYENKO: It takes certain elements to brand crime as international, such as the provision of funds from a foreign country, the participation of foreign nationals in terrorist groups, and the provision of foreign technical assistance to such groups. There are more than ten such elements. We have certain information, but it is kept secret in the interests of investigation.
QUESTION: The press conference, which the so-called foreign minister of Chechnya, held in the USA provoked a scandal. It was reported that the Chechen separatists maintain regular contacts with the Taliban. What is Interpol doing to hinder these contacts?
GORDIYENKO: These persons had not been put on the international wanted list, and hence foreign states had no reasons to take police measures against them. But when they are put on the wanted list, they become subject to police and law-enforcement control, and the country where they will be seen should react accordingly. As for the Chechen "foreign minister," the law-enforcement structures did not lodge an official request for him and hence there are no formal grounds for denying him entry into any country.
It has become more difficult for the bandit chieftains to contact foreign countries, because such contacts discredit the state, with whose representatives they meet, and the institutions, which these persons represent. This is why such meetings are usually held secretly.
QUESTION: What about the contacts of terrorist number one, bin Laden, with Chechen terrorists? Are they regular? And can you tell us about Anatoly Bykov?
GORDIYENKO: The Central Interpol Bureau has had no recent information about bin Laden, but we have operational information about his direct contacts with Khattab and Basayev. As for Anatoly Bykov, a trial will be held in January to make the final ruling.
EKHO MOSKVY: It was said in the past few days that terrorist acts prepared by Khattab are expected to take place in Chechnya. What do you know about this?
GORDIYENKO: When a group fails to score effective results, it circulates rumours to buttress its significance. This information should be regarded as both possibly true and as possible misinformation.
RADIO LIBERTY: We know that many bandit chieftains freely go abroad for medical treatment and talks. How issues them foreign passports?
GORDIYENKO: There are quite a few unofficial channels. For example, blank passports were stolen during a raid on regional departments and were later issued, with falsified names, for trips to adjacent CIS countries, where unofficial attempts were made to acquire foreign passports. Unofficial attempts were also made on the territory of Russia.
BBC, Russian Service: Does information from your agents reaffirm the rumour that 150 fighters from Afghanistan and Pakistan, trained by bin Laden, are to be delivered to the CIS by a Pakistan-Karachi-Dushanbe charter flight, with their final destination being Chechnya? How many foreign mercenaries are fighting in Chechnya now?
GORDIYENKO: The Chechen territory is safely controlled now and it is very difficult to get there. I don't think somebody will want to go to Chechnya in order to help the bandits. I have seen mercenaries and know that they don't want to die. They try not to draw out fighting in case of a direct armed contact, and prepare their retreat routes in advance. Let's have a closer look at the developments in Grozny and attacks at roadblocks, which were manned by 30-40 troops, mostly OMON militiamen. The bandits could not take a single of these roadblocks. The armed groups of Chechen bandits bore the proud names of the Western front, the Eastern front and Raduyev's army. But what is their worth if they failed to take a single roadblock? Or a single building of law-enforcement agencies?
PARLAMENTSKAYA GAZETA: Let's return to the notorious Chechen foreign minister, who took part in the attack on Budennovsk and is hence a supporter of Basayev. Why cannot he be put on the wanted list? There are several dozen such bandits, but only 14 are wanted. Why?
GORDIYENKO: It is possible that the investigators working on his case do not have enough information to suggest him for the international wanted list. Interpol can be used in other ways. For example, when there are grounds to suspect somebody of involvement in terrorist activities, information about this person can be circulated through Interpol channels, so that precautions are taken with regard to him. In this case, we will be informed about his appearance in a foreign state.
TRIBUNA NEWSPAPER: The Western mass media reported more than once that Interpol collects information about criminal groups, that it does not trust the Russian partners, referring to its ineffectiveness and leakage of information. Will you comment, please?
GORDIYENKO: Where did you read this? There is a specific procedure of forming Interpol's data banks. First, official requests are dispatched to Interpol. These are the requests of operational departments of police structures or international investigation requests. No Interpol structure independently collects information.
Now for the collection of information about organised criminal groups. There are other possibilities for collecting information, in particular by analysing press reports, which provide a wealth of information about crime, and by establishing direct contacts during the investigation of cases. Representatives of nearly 20 countries (communication offices or police attaches) use their channels - but always officially - to acquire requisite information. What information leaks can there be? You will not name a single state that would freely issue information about its citizens to everyone. Why should Russia do this? If we get a request from a foreign state, we carefully analyse it to see if there are enough grounds to provide the information before making the decision.
TRIBUNA: How did you reaffirm - or disprove - information of Moskovsky Komsomolets to the effect that Khattab and Basayev met with members of the Kremlin staff outside Russia shortly before the invasion of Daghestan?
GORDIYENKO: The checking of such meetings is not in our jurisdiction. There are the established procedure and the operational departments of law-enforcement agencies for this. We did not have such information in Interpol.
EXPRESS-KHRONIKA NEWSPAPER: A check of the operation of religious and public organisations in the North Caucasus began after the Daghestani developments. Some of these organisations were closed down. Does Interpol have information about contacts maintained by these organisations?
GORDIYENKO: Our efforts are limited. Article 3 of the Interpol Charter provides for non-interference in criminal acts committed for religious, racial, political and military reasons. As for sects, Interpol is not involved in the corresponding cases. They are investigated in the framework of the national legislation of each particular state. Interpol collaborates with state only in the sphere of crime.
VEK: How many international terrorists did the National Central Interpol Bureau apprehend?
GORDIYENKO: In all, 245 people put on the international wanted list by Russian law-enforcement agencies were apprehended by us or with our involvement abroad. Of them, over 80 were deported. Last year, the Russian law-enforcement agencies put over 1,000 persons on the international wanted list.
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