MOSCOW, January 31 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Interior Ministry is proposing establishing a national DNA bank to help identify bodies and in criminal and missing person investigations, the ministry told RIA Novosti in a statement Thursday.

"The ministry...has drawn up and submitted to the Russian government a federal bill to launch a project to create a national DNA bank in 2009," the statement said.

The ministry said if the bill was approved, it would provide more effective law enforcement.

Russia's deputy interior minister said on Thursday DNA laboratories were operating across the country improving police performance.

"There are 34 operational laboratories all around Russia available to all Interior Ministry units," Lieutenant General Mikhail Sukhodolsky said.

The ministry said in 2007 the laboratories carried out nearly 3.5 times more DNA tests as in 2006 and "our success in tracing and convicting criminals, who have committed especially dangerous crimes has risen 2.7 times."

He also said that nanotechnology would be introduced in the ministry.