MOSCOW, October 20 (RIA Novosti) - A Moscow court formally sanctioned on Tuesday the arrest of the interior minister of the Russian east Siberian republic of Buryatia, detained in a smuggling case last week.

Viktor Syusyura, the top law-enforcement official in the republic, was arrested on Saturday evening in the capital, Ulad Ude, as part of the investigation into a smuggling case, and his office and apartment were searched.

Syusyura said he would appeal the court's ruling.

"Certainly, I will appeal the detention order... I do not understand what I am accused of, but I am sure there is no evidence of my guilt," he said. "I am sure everything will fall into place."

His lawyer also said investigators have no proof that Syusyura had committed a crime.

"His subordinates are guilty, but there is no direct evidence of the general's guilt," Alevtina Tukina told journalists.

Syusyura was brought to Moscow's Lefortovo pretrial detention center under heavy guard on Sunday morning.

The investigation is believed to be connected with Syusyura's previous post, when in 2001-2006 he headed a southern Russian transport police department and was responsible for security at ports, railroad stations, bridges and tunnels in the Krasnodar Territory.

According to official reports, under Syusyura, transport police carried out a number of operations to seize smuggled cargos, but his opponents accused him of covering up smuggling activity.

Andrei Shurupov, acting head of the tax crimes department in Buryatia's Interior Ministry, was also arrested.