Russian FSB Gives Details of Seizing Raduyev

Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) director Nikolai Patrushev on Monday revealed some details of capturing Chechen rebel commander Salman Raduyev, one of Russia's most wanted men for his role in two Chechen wars.

Raduyev was seized in a special operation conducted by the FSB Sunday morning in the village of Novogroznensky in southern Chechnya, said Patrushev.

He said there was no loss of life among the FSB servicemen participating in the operation. Now Raduyev and his three companions have been brought to Moscow and are being held at the Lefortovo prison of the FSB.

Patrushev said the operation was thoroughly prepared with no weapons fired, adding that "it took some time to prepare the operation, considering the fact that up to 10,000 men were at different periods under the command of Raduyev. He had some 100 bodyguards."

"Raduyev did not offer any resistance during the arrest. At first he was in a shock and kept silent," said the FSB head.

He confirmed that "Raduyev's guards knew nothing about the operation. Had we not announced it today, they would have known nothing about it even now."

The other three arrested men included the head of Raduyev's personal guard service and a financier, who provided funds to Raduyev's rebel groups and other bandits, Patrushev said.

Raduyev, used to be in charge of up to 10,000 militants, is Now under question by the Russian law enforcement servicemen, said Patrushev.

He stressed that Raduyev's arrest was not a final operation of FSB for the capture of Chechen warlords. "Other such operations should be prepared most perfectly," he said, vowing to capture all the other rebel commanders.

Raduyev, born in 1967, was seized during the tragic incident of January 9-18, 1996, when Chechen terrorists attacked a city hospital in Kyzlyar, Dagestan, in demand of a ceasefire in Chechnya, killing around 100 servicemen and civilians.

After he was released from Kyzlyar, Raduyev was blockaded in the border village of Pervomaiskoye, which Russian troops failed to capture.

Raduyev was a leader of the Young Communist League while studying in a vocational training school, and worked for the Chechen-Ingush Young Communist League Committee.

Raduyev was a strong supporter of former Chechen President Dzhokhar Dudayev, who was killed by a Russian mobile-phone-searching missile strike during the first Chechen war in the early 1990s. He married Dudayev's daughter.

Raduyev was put in charge of the Gudermes district in June 1992 and appointed to command "the sixth brigade of the Chechen armed forces" since November 1992.

Since last August, he has been the commander of the so-called "General Dudayev's Army", one of the major illegal Chechen armed units. Interpol has announced an international search for Raduyev.

Raduyev, who has repeated his intention to wage an irreconcilable struggle against Russia by using terrorist methods, has survived at least four assassination attempts and suffered serious wounds including a head injury.

The Russian Prosecutor General's Office on Monday said it will charge Raduyev of bandit activities and terrorism crimes, including organizing terrorist blasts.

If found guilty, Raduyev will face up to 20 years in prison.

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