New head of Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tatarstan warns about biodrons — ‘drones' on two legs

The role of the media and society in the fight against certain manifestations of crime was discussed by Major General Damir Satretdinov at a meeting with members of the Public Council under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tatarstan.

The new head of the republican Ministry of Internal Affairs noted that the ministry “controls the situation in the republic”, but “needs the help of civil society in a number of issues”. We are talking about scammers and couriers of criminal call centers. 159 detainees for these actions in Tatarstan are people from 16 to 23 years old. “They were all well aware that they receive instructions on where to take the money and where to bring it from people who are in Ukraine," the minister stressed.

Satretdinov said that already in January 2024, a group of four students from the Aksubaevsky College of Universal Technologies appeared in the republic — “they collected money from gullible old people in Zainsky, Chistopolsky, Mamadyshsky and Aznakaevsky districts”. The total damage to the victims in three months amounted to more than 3 million rubles.

The head of the department made it clear that the police needed the help of society to suppress such manifestations of terrorism as attempts to set fire to military enlistment offices and sabotage on the railways.

“A term has even appeared, and, unfortunately, it is gaining momentum — “biodrons”. When “drones” — the so-called drones on two legs — are led by operators from the territory of the enemy state. And we all saw these attempts during the presidential elections in our country," he stated.

Further, Damir Satretdinov shared his opinion that “the easiest way to put malware is where it is empty, where there is nothing.” And he invited the audience to determine a joint line of educational, preventive and educational work with the population. He said he would be glad to have any suggestions.

Part of the meeting of the Police Major General with the Public Council was recorded by the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tatarstan. The chairman of the council, Irina Terentyeva, reported to the new minister on the results of her work over the past year, in particular, noted her participation in 128 propaganda, preventive and charity events.

At the end of the meeting, the audience welcomed the addition to the Public Council in the person of Hieromonk Kirill, rector of the Kazan church in honour of St. Seraphim of Sarov, in the world — Kirill Korytko.