“In the course of searches at two addresses in Simferopol, policemen of the Center for Combating Extremism together with Special Purpose Police Unit “Berkut” of the Russian MIA for the Republic of Crimea confiscated a large amount of illegally stored firearms, ammunition and explosives, as well as antiquities. According to the preliminary assessment, some of the seized items are of cultural and historical value,” said Russian MIA official representative Irina Volk.

In the course of the check, the police established that a 33-year old resident of Simferopol had been involved in illegal excavations, firearms restoration and ammunition loading, using various equipment, tools and machines for the said purposes. The black archaeologist had been selling the items found in the course of his unlawful activity through the Internet.

Among the confiscated items: rifles, guns, pistols, sabres, bayonets, grenades, trotyl, gunpowder, multiple cartridges for various weapons, as well as arrowheads and spearheads that are probably of historical value.

The Inquiry Division of the Russian MIA for the Republic of Crimea initiated a criminal case on the fact of illegal storage of firearms and ammunition.

Download the official comment given by Russian MIA official representative Irina Volk

Download the video about the operations