MOSCOW, February 1 - RAPSI. The number of very serious crimes committed in Moscow in 2012 increased by 11.4% and that of serious crimes by 6%, Moscow Prosecutor Sergei Kudeneyev said on Friday.

"This is a quarter of all crimes registered in Moscow," he said at an expanded meeting of the board of the Moscow Prosecutor's Office, which met to discuss its 2012 performance.

The prosecutor said the overall number of reported crimes grew by 3.8% last year to over 180,000.

Kudeneyev noted that the increase was mostly due to a growing number of crimes against property, including theft (up by 7.2%), robbery (up by 4.5%) and fraud (up by 15.2%). "This worrying increase in crime is a result of the inadequate measures taken by law enforcement agencies to prevent crime, and of illegal migration, which continues to contribute to crime levels in the city," the prosecutor said.

He added that the number of robberies and fraud crimes committed by foreigners had grown. Furthermore, the number of violations of immigration legislation has increased by 35%.