Ingushetia: militants declare hunt on drug dealers and slot machine owners

Leaflets have appeared in public places of Ingushetia, in which the militants are promising, as on March 1, to start killing drug dealers and owners of gambling dens and slot machine halls.

"We address all distributors of ungodliness, drug dealers, owners of gambling halls and usurers who are ruining our citizens, with an appeal to repent and stop their dirty activities in the territory of Ingushetia," run the leaflets disseminated on behalf of the Information Division of Jama'at of the Caucasus Emirate, the foundation of which was declared in the autumn of 2007 by Doku Umarov, the leader of Chechen separatists.

Militants promise to punish the persons who will not follow the appeal and lease premises to gambling dens and slot machine halls, as well as those who guard them, "according to Shariat Court."

"We declare that all drug dealers and owners of gambling dens and slot machine halls in the territory of Ingushetia who will not curtail their activities before March 1, 2008, will be our target for physical liquidation," the leaflets say.

A similar appeal signed by commander of Ingush militants Amir Magas appeared in 2006 as well, and some attacks on gambling halls with shelling them from grenade launchers were committed. Arsons and explosions in slot machines halls continued in 2007. However, those attacks brought no casualties, the "Regnum" reports.