International terrorists continue infiltrating the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), where they fuse with local organized crime groups, Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Alexander Bortnikov said on Tuesday
DUSHANBE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st May, 2019) International terrorists continue infiltrating the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), where they fuse with local organized crime groups, Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Alexander Bortnikov said on Tuesday.
"The buildup of terrorist forces significantly aggravates the situation in the Central Asian region. They are continuously infiltrating the [CIS] countries and merging with local organized crime [groups]," Bortnikov said at a meeting of the council of heads of security agencies and special services of CIS member states in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe.
At the same time, the cross-border flow of drugs, arms and irregular migration is increasing, with revenues from this criminal activity being used to "replenish terrorists' resource base," the FSB chief added.
"We are aware of the intention of international terrorist groups' leaders to use widows, wives and children of militants to their own ends," Bortnikov also said.
The CIS, a regional organization created in 1991 by former Soviet Union members except for the Baltic states, aims to promote economic, political and security cooperation between its members. Georgia used to be part of the bloc but left it in 2009, and Ukraine is currently finalizing its own withdrawal from the organization.
