Moscow traffic police chief Sergei Kazantsev was officially reprimanded on Wednesday over a "special operation" in which officers commandeered several private cars to stop a fleeing driver, but refused to pay compensation for damage caused.

The City Internal Affairs Main Administration spokesman said Lt. Col. Alexander Kozlov, whose subordinates carried out the operation, was dismissed.

Maj. Gen. Sergei Kazantsev said on Tuesday he would see to it that compensation was paid in full to the owners whose cars were damaged in the incident.

On March 5, police stopped several cars on the Moscow Outer Ring Road (MKAD) and ordered the drivers to block the five-lane highway in a bid to stop an Audi they had been chasing.

Motorist Stanislav Sutyagin said the Audi eventually rammed the cars blocking the highway and escaped while police continued their pursuit.

He said he was denied compensation for the damage to his car, let alone for endangerment to his life, on the grounds that "the suspects escaped."

In neighboring Belarus, traffic police officers who in 2008 set up a makeshift roadblock to stop a drunk driver were dismissed and handed suspended sentences after several people were injured in the incident.

MOSCOW, March 10 (RIA Novosti)