MOSCOW, July 4, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- Nineteen persons, including seventeen nationals of Tajikistan, have been detained in Moscow on suspicion of having been involved in robbery.

According to the Moscow law enforcement authorities, a group of robbers numbering 19 persons burst into warehouse located in the southeast of Moscow on July 3.

“Threatening guards with weapons, the robbers tied up them and attempted to take commodities out of the warehouse but were detained by police,” the source at the Moscow police directorate said. According to him, seventeen of the robbers proved to be Tajik nationals, one was Russian citizen and one more one was citizen of Azerbaijan.

One handmade grenade, one Osa traumatic pistol, three bullets and 1.52 grams of heroin were confiscated from them, the source added.

Criminal proceedings have been instituted against the detained robbers under the provisions of Article 162 (4) of Russia’s Penal Code – robbery; an investigation is under way.  The robbers could get a sentence of 15 years in jail.