CRIME AND FOREIGNERS.

Last week’s vow by Aleksandr Lebed to save Russia from "foreign thieves" is ironic in light of the fact that theft is the crime most frequently reported by Western visitors to Moscow. According to the Moscow police, about 1,000 crimes against foreigners are reported in the capital annually (900 in 1990, 1,773 in 1993, 1,195 in 1995). Most of these involve theft, with Finns, Germans, Americans and Britons the chief victims. As for crimes committed by foreigners, dealing in contraband goods and narcotics headed the list with the main culprits identified by police as Vietnamese, Chinese and Nigerians. (Segodnya, June 27)

Police Investigate Fatal Bus Explosion.