DUSHANBE, January 29, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Chinese national Su Fanizin (phonetically spelled), who works with one of companies in Dushanbe, was robbed by unidentified persons in the Tajik capital on January 25, according to the Ministry of Interior (MoI).

The source at a MoI said they received an appropriate application from Su yesterday.  “According to him, unidentified persons stopped him Monday (January 25) at the Korgar Street and took away 2,780 somoni, 200 U.S. dollars, mobile phone Nokia-5310 and some other personal belongings,” the source said.

Dushanbe police has instituted criminal proceedings on the robbery charge and an investigation is under way.

According to the MoI data, 32 crimes (mostly thefts and robberies) were committed against foreigners in the country last year, which is some 30 percent more than in 2008.

In the meantime, foreigners committed 78 crimes (mostly fraud, drug-trafficking and contraband) in Tajikistan in 2009, which is 47 percent more than in 2008.