MOSCOW, October 18 (RIA Novosti) - The interior minister of the Russian republic of Buryatia in east Siberia has been detained. "We confirm the fact of detention," a Russian Interior Ministry spokesman said without providing further details.

According to the Vesti TV channel, Viktor Syusyura was arrested on Saturday evening in Buryatia's capital Ulad Ude as part of the investigation into a smuggling case, and his office and apartment were searched.

Andrei Shurupov, acting head of the Buryat ministry's tax crimes department, has also been arrested.

The case is addressed by the Russian Investigation Committee, which has been unavailable for comment yet.

Vesti said Syusyura was brought to Moscow's Lefortovo pre-trial detention center under heavy guard on Sunday morning, but the Federal Penitentiary Service Buryatia's Interior Ministry said they "know nothing of this."

Irina Smolyak, a spokeswoman for Buryatia's government, said: "All comments will be available Monday."