Struggle against terrorism: relying on vigilance

In recent years, terrorism has become a mark of reality for many states, a familiar phenomenon for the population, including Russia. Security forces and intelligence agencies are fighting terrorists, but a paradoxical situation is forming: the society knows about theterrorist attacks which occurred, knows when there happened terrible events, explosions, but it knows very little about the numerous terror attacks which were avoided. The Advisor to the Chairman of the National Antiterrorist Committee (NAC) Andrew Przhezdomsky decided to fill the gap.

"Over the past six years when exists NAC, which coordinates the work of all structures in this direction, than 1,300 gang databases and caches have been eliminated. Over the past two-plus years more than 200 crimes have been prevented. The greatest number of crimes prevented is in the areas where terrorism manifests itself most actively: Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Ingushetia and Chechnya. Today the bandit underground is not only equipped with the most modern ammunition, weapons and explosives, but also tries to make a homemade explosive device. Only last year more than 10 major laboratories of this kind were destroyed. The difficulty of access to these laboratories is caused by the fact that they are usually mined by bandits. Last year more than 500 self-made devices and more than 4 tons of explosives were seized," Przhezdomsky told. He demonstrated a video about a search of such bunker, later liquidated in Dagestan, recognizing that this is a serious construction, and people work on the production of improvised explosive devices (APC) quite professionally.

"In March, an event took place in Nalchik, almost unnoticed by media,” Przhezdomsky says. “The police noticed a group of young people who were going to the cottage on the outskirts of Nalchik. Vigilant citizens notified about signs indicating that this group should be drawn attention to. The cottage was blocked, and it was found that these young people are the part of the bandit group. With the help of a megaphone they were offered to surrender, guaranteeing preservation of life, and they agreed, which recently happens more and more often. As a result questioning of these young people it was found that in the city, near the center, there is a laboratory in a garage where, in addition to the storage weapons and ammunition, there is a workshop
for production of IEDs. The tools, the machine, etc, nine finished IEDs, plastic cans, pots, and a container (like those used for pickling cucumbers) with a capacity of 30 liters were found there. All these were equipped with clockworks, fuses via radio and larded plugs and fittings. Explosion of even one of these devices would lead to the deaths of large numbers of people within a radius of 100 m, and if it blew up the entire garage, in a radius of 100 m there would be total destruction, including buildings. Now investigators are working on this case, they explore all the details of the terrorist act that was being prepared. It could be an explosion on the rout Pyatigorsk-Vladikavkaz, or in the city center. In the hands of the bandits was the radio, through which at any moment they could carry out this explosion. Some units had to be eliminated on the spot, because in essence they had been installed on anti-handling devices. "

For another example of preventing terrorist attacks Przhezdomsky also "visited" Kabardino-Balkaria: "In the village Mir of Chegemky region are most beautiful places, beautiful nature, beautiful waterfalls, but because there are bandits, the tourists are afraid to go to the North Caucasus. One local person noticed that a group of young people regularly gathers by the river, takes the car and leaves for the suburbs of the village, where it hangs out in one prosperous house. When neighbors were interviewed, it became clear that the house owner changes his car almost every month, and this is a sure sign that we are dealing with a sort of gang. Indeed, it was a gang of southwestern sector numbering 7 persons. The house was locked. The bandits were
offered to surrender, but they refused, and as a result of clashes they have been neutralized. The peculiarity of this operation lies is that in addition to the IED of 15 kg of TNT capacity, which was established on anti-handling devices (so that it was to explode as soon as bomb specialists enter the house),it was revealed that the gang engaged in extorting money from businessmen, as it is today a primary method of forming material potential of gangs. Today, criminals use modern methods: a USB flash drive, a SIM card, and the instruction for action is transmitted to a person: "You have 5 days from the moment of receiving this envelope, for collecting money. The way of transferring the money will be given over the phone. Be reasonable and don’t doom yourself to perdition." Businessmen are often afraid to report to the police about blackmail and prefer to pay this "war tax" as bandits call it.

Now we all, unfortunately, are aware of such a device as "suicide belt". This sophisticated weapon of mass murder has repeatedly been used in terrorist attacks. In recent years neutralizing those criminals who are trying to use the "suicide belt" becomes increasingly more successful. Do you remember the situation at the hotel "National", when a female suicide bomber changed her mind at the last moment and did not pulled the fuse’s ring? Now bandit underground insures against such incidents via mounting radio-controlled device into the belt, which allows bringing it into effect in any case, in particular through a motor pager, regardless of the suicide bomber, even from a distance of 400 m.

Preventing terrorist attacks is a huge, complex work. It is both a research and a battle work, requiring a clear calculation of forces and means. The main task is to avoid civilian casualties and losses among the security forces. It is necessary to encourage the blocked bandits to the negotiations, to persuade them to surrender. In all armed clashes, it is currently mandatory to refer to bandits through a megaphone or a mobile phone, asking them to surrender, release of women, children, the elderly and non-involved persons, giving the rebels a chance to stay alive, and the number of cases of this kind, when the gun is put down, is growing today. The wives, parents, community leaders and human rights activists all participate in negotiations.
A very important point is that it is a preventative work, protection of critical infrastructure (refineries, power plants, railroads, etc.). Over 30,000 inspections per year are conducted around the country. During one such check in Dagestan, on the railway 10 high-power gas cylinders of 30 kg of explosives each were found. This could derail a big train.

Equally important is the need to monitor public places - train stations andairports. In Dagestan, people noticed that a concrete block arrived at the marketplace (suspicion arose because it was brought separately from all the others). Within this block, the cavity was found with 60 kilograms of explosives. Such a concrete block that looks like any other could be located anywhere on the carriageway.
Another problem is the readiness of all forces and means of the police for action in case of terrorist attacks, and for this purpose year no less than 300 exercises are conducted every year. We will not tell about most of them - you will learn about a part of them."