Moscow/Los Angeles (dpa)

The Russian Interior Ministry's secret service (FSB) and the Tax Police raided four offices of the Los Angeles based Church of Scientology in Moscow Thursday. The service's office told Interfax News Service that an investigation of the CoS for illegal commercial activities had been started last week.

The action by the Russian officials was strongly criticized by the Church. President of the central church Heber Jentzsch called the action a 'Campaign by extremist anti-american, anti-western russian officials in collaboration with the Russian Orthodox Church'. The accusations said Jentzsch were pure invention by an equally dubious self-described former scientologist.

The action was the result of a criminal investigation begun last week according to Interfax. Special investigators of the militia were also involved in a supporting role during the raid.

Scientology is supposedly active in 40 of the largest Russian cities since the collapse of the USSR. A year ago former Premier Sergej Kirijenko was criticized for contacts to the Church of scientology. As early as October 1996 assets of the Church were siezed by tax police in the church's office in St. Petersburg.

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