Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has arrested 14 suspects from an international criminal group involved in forging passports and other documents for Islamic extremists preparing to go to Syria, and those coming to Russia for terror missions.

A joint special FSB and Interior Ministry operation in the Moscow region has exposed an international organized crime network, which was providing forged papers for extremists from Russia and CIS countries.

The gang was busy forging documents for those “illegally heading to Syria to take part in military actions on the side of Islamic State, and also for the militants sent on a mission to Russia by ISIS leaders to conduct terrorist and extremist activities, as well as illegal migrants.”

The members of the group were arrested after sufficient evidence had been gathered, the FSB reported.

Search operations revealed a vast stockpile of forged documents, forms, stamps, special equipment for fake papers’ production, as well as extremist literature.

The FSB believes that all members of the criminal ring are now in custody. Secret printing presses and laboratories have been found and sales and distribution channels shut down.

The members of the criminal group have been taking extreme precautionary measures. They constantly changed their place of residence and used undercover communications’ tools, including software enabling them to hide personal data while surfing the web, the FSB reported.