MOSCOW, March 15 - RAPSI. The police have prevented over 2,200 bribes in January-February, which is 20 percent of the entire figure for 2011, Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev said on Thursday.

"Last year, economic security units revealed around 125,000 economic crimes, registering more than 27,000 crimes dealing with corruption, including 5,500 bribery cases," the minister said.

He stressed that last year four deputy governors, 16 regional ministers and their deputies, four legislative assembly deputies and other high-ranking officials were detained last year.

Nurgaliyev said the damages incurred by their crimes amounted to about four billion rubles ($135.52 million).