MOSCOW, August 14 (RAPSI) - St. Petersburg investigators have opened a criminal case on arms trafficking from EU countries against employees of the local department of the Federal Penitentiary Service, the Special Rapid Response Unit (SOBR) and five local residents, official spokesperson for the Investigative Committee Vladimir Markin announced on Friday.

Markin says that members of an organized criminal group purchased a substantial number of guns, machine guns, ammunition and firearms components from EU countries. The weapons were illegally delivered to St. Petersburg and stored at the members’ homes. The group planned to sell the arms.

During searches this Thursday, investigators and staff of the regional departments of the Federal Security Service and the Interior Ministry confiscated around a hundred items, including Walther P99, Star SA and Glock guns, a large amount of ammunition of various calibers and components such as barrels and receivers, Markin reported.

The suspects have been arrested and may soon be placed in detention.

The spokesperson said the group had been operating for a long time and managed to supply a large number of illegal arms to different Russian regions.