Russia recruits ex-criminals to fill vacant posts in Interior Forces

Kabul, Jan 4 (ANI): The Russian Interior Ministry had reportedly given a green signal to recruit ex-criminals to fill the vacant positions, after the number of conscripts recruited for the country's Interior Forces failed to reach the requirement.

Xinhua quoted a source from the ministry as saying that said the campaign on recruitment that ended on December 31 last year, did not meet the need of the ministry.

"The Interior Ministry had required 27,000 conscripts to be drafted in fall, but received only 18,500," Sergei Topchy, Deputy Lieutenant-General of the Interior Forces, said.

Among those enlisted, the number of convicted criminals "rose significantly," he added.

Topchy further called it a "highly disturbing fact," because the Interior Ministry's forces jobs was to fight crimes in the country.

The main area where the Interior Forces are deployed is Northern Caucasus, a troubled region with the highest crime level in Russia.

Russia's law makes no distinction between former criminals and law-abiding citizens with respect to their obligation of military service, which is mandatory in Russia for every male over 18 years. (ANI)