The police service in Moscow launched raids on market places this week after a police officer was attacked by a Dagestani resident who was accused of raping an under-age girl.
The head of the Moscow Police Department, Anatoly Yakunin, said the attack was a challenge to the police.
The police have already detained 470 illegal aliens. The Federal Service of Migration takes a major part in the operation.
According to the head of the International Institute for Political Expertise, Yevgeny Minchenko, the police raid is simply a PR action, which has nothing to do with the real state of affairs.
The police are trying to show that no one has a right to attack a member of the force. At the same time, the policy towards illegal aliens should be systematic, the expert says.
Journalist Maxim Shevchenko says he shares the expert's opinion in general. "The authorities are acting sporadically, they do not have any systematic approach," he says. He hailed however the attempt to improve the situation surrounding market places.
