Police scan even basketballs of metro passengers

Euroradio's correspondent's personal belongings were checked 4 times within a day - this was how many times he went somewhere by metro. When he asked how long the police would check the passengers' things like this, a policeman on duty in "Lenin Square" station answered "always". 

After this, he checked the journalist's backpack and scanned it with a metal detector. There was a basketball, a dictophone and a sweater in it. The whole checking procedure took about 5 seconds. A basketball attracted policeman's attention the most - he scanned it with a metal detector and let the journalist go.

Usually a dialogue with a policeman consists of some short questions and checking of things. Like, please show me your bag. Good, you can go. Plus, an obligatory metal detector scanning.

A representative of law-enforcement authorities at the "Academy of Sciences" metro station claimed they checked suspicious persons and suspicious things. Even if a passer-by has no bags, he may be checked, the policeman said. 

Photo: telegraf.by