A group of 18 people suspected of having links with the Islamic State terrorist organization have been detained in Moscow, the RIA Novosti news agency reported Wednesday, citing an unidentified source in law enforcement.
According to preliminary data, the detainees were involved in recruiting new members for the organization, which is banned in Russia.
The suspects — most of whom have been identified as Uzbek nationals — were arrested during a raid carried out by the police and the Federal Security Service. During the raid, the police seized a number of fake identification documents from different countries, including Turkey, according to the source.
Counterfeit documents were used to help members of the Islamic State enter and leave Russia.
A spokesperson for the Moscow department of the Interior Ministry when reached by The Moscow Times for comment said the ministry did not have any official information on the arrests.
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