European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 14, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 a the stars and stripes thursday november 14, 1991soviet criminals preying on foreigners Moscow up1 a foreigners Are increasingly becoming the victims of crime in the soviet Union officials say. There were More than 7,700 reported crimes against foreigners last year a 18 percent More than in 1989 and five times the average level a decade ago said maj. Gen. Alexander Kotlyarova Deputy head of criminal investigations at the Interior ministry. And in the first 10 months of 1991, the number of reported incidents jumped by More than a fifth despite a Small decline in the number of foreign visitors. Particularly vulnerable arc foreign tourists who visit the soviet Union on their own As opposed to visitors who come As part of a group tour or at the invitation of a soviet organization. A when a foreigner comes Here alone of course he or she attracts a lot More attention a Kotlyarova said. The vast majority of reported incidents involved thefts of Money clothing electronic goods or other property. One fourth of the thefts were from cars. Almost half of All crimes against foreigners were committed in hotels dormitories and campgrounds. Kotlyarova said that the jump in crime cannot be attributed entirely a to the economic situation in the country or falling living  he blamed local authorities and other republics which he did not identify for failing to pay attention to Law enforcement he also said some specialized police units created by Central authorities had been disbanded in some republics hampering investigations of crimes such As credit card fraud. This Type of fraud is a a new and Complex problem for us a Kotlyarova said noting that the illegal use of credit cards accounted for $3.4 million Worth of purchases last year. Many foreign crime victims were not entirely blameless he said. A if you use a prostitute you done to think that As a consequence you will be robbed afterwards he said. A but this happens quite  Many foreigners Are also robbed or mugged while illegally changing Money on the Black Market he said. Foreigners also account for an increasing number of offences in the first nine months of this year they committed 345 crimes 25 percent More than in same period of 1990. Foreign nationals have been particularly Active in smuggling valuables out of the country particularly Antiques and icons. A before it was mainly diplomats who used their own closed channels a said Oleg Burov the head of the Interior ministry a organized crime department. A now increasingly its  Burov said other criminal activities involving foreigners include running an Auto theft ring smuggling arms to nationalists in the troubled chechen Inrush Region of South Russia and Selling fraudulent forms promising soviets jobs in the United  bullets end suffering of 51 beached Pilot whales scores of struggling whales lie stranded on Tasmania a coast. Hobart Australia apr wildlife officials were forced to shoot 51 beached Pilot whales because they were suffering and could not be saved the authorities said. The whales were among a group of 168 that became stranded on Tasmania a Remote Sandy Beach. Fishermen spotted the beached whales Early tuesday and the majority already had died by the time officials decided late in the Day to kill the rest. A their lungs were filled with Sand and water they were dying and suffering immensely a said Hans Wapstra a whales specialist with the tasmanian Parks department. The whales were spread Over Rocky stretches of Beach on the West coast of Tasmania an Island state off the Southeast coast of australians Mainland. They had rolled onto their sides and worked their bodies deeper into the Sand As they tried to right themselves he said. Wapstra said the Rescue of such a Large number of whales was a huge task. Stranded whales cannot be pushed into the sea individually because animals separated from the Herd turn around and head Back to the others he said. A you have to push groups of the whales into the water at the same time and hold them together Between boats to form a Core group a he said. A then the others can be pushed out in lesser numbers and they will join the group. A to do All that we needed hundreds of people who were not  finds s. Africa depressing Johannesburg South Africa apr new York mayor David Dinkins came a a Home to South of world health drink being recalled after tampering in Britain from wire reports London a Smit Klinc by Cham pc a pharmaceuticals and health products group said wednesday that it has ordered the withdrawal of All bottles of its health drink la Cozad on Sale in Britain because they May have been tampered with. The move followed a police Alert. Scotland Yard said in a statement that several people were arrested Early wednesday but that there might still be an attempt to place contaminated bottles in stores and supermarkets around the country. A it is extremely unlikely that contaminated bottles have already been placed on shelves but other people not yet arrested May still try to Plant enl nominated bottles a a Scotland Yard spokesman told press association Britain a National news Agency. A any members of the Public purchasing a bottle of la Cozad which they suspect might have been tampered with should Contact their local police a the spokesman added. He said an animal rights group was thought to be behind the scare in a bid to get publicity. He did not identify the group and no organization claimed responsibility Moscow bread Price rising Moscow a failing to Stop panic buying with plans for rationing mayor Gavriil Popov has announced Price increases for High Quality breads. A at least one kind of bread should be on the shelf even though at a High Price Quot Popov said on Moscow television tuesday in announcing the higher prices. Popov said last week that he would Issue rationing coupons for bread meat sausage butter and eggs beginning dec. 1. Bui muscovites continued to Slock up on bread canned goods and sausage in anticipation of higher prices planned to take effect Early next year As authorities move toward a Irce Market system. One kind of Brown bread will now Cost 3.6 rubles for a 2.2-Pound loaf. Two different loaves of White bread will Cost about 5 rubles each. The cheapest kind of Brown bread currently costs about 60 Kopecky a loaf. There Are 100 Kopecky in a Ruble. The average monthly salary in the soviet Union is about 350  ads focus on aids Canberra Australia a advising travellers to a pack condoms with their Toothbrush a Australia is using its travel Industry to warn against activity that can spread the aids virus. The Campaign using everything from pamphlets to warnings on airline tickets is aimed at the almost 5 million travellers who cuter i int in ivc Aust Ului every your. Health minister Brian Howe said wednesday. About 85 percent of the 4 million airline tickets sold each year will carry the Campaign s Quot travel Safe Quot warning next month 1 lows said. A mls not who you Are but what you do that puts you at risk a he said. A Zihere is Clear evidence that people behave differently when on holidays or away from Home and they also do not always behave As they expect they  inca on monday and chastised the White government As he toured a squalid Camp of Black squatters. The Black mayor of americans largest City was greeted by african National Congress Leader Nelson Mandela after arriving for a five Day visit. A people say in be come a Long Way from Home. And its True 1 have come a Long Way. But today i finally am Home Quot Dinkins said before plunging into a tour of Soweto the huge Black township outside Johannesburg. Quot its depressing Quot Dinkins said after he and an entourage of about 35 people stepped carefully Over a River of sewage and squeezed through the smelly alleys of the Mandela Village squatter Camp. A they have no option Quot he said referring to the shacks housing the areas 5,000 Blacks. Quot to think that in this land of plenty so few have so much and so Many have so  acknowledging poverty in the United states Dinkins said of South Africa a there is a big difference. This is calculated to say Black folks will have  Black children swarmed around the mayor although Tew knew who he was and grabbed at the new York acts baseball Caps and mets sweatbands being handed out by aides. Dinkins also visited the children a cancer Ward at Soweto s 3,000-Seal Baragwanath Hospital where he sat on the floor with Young patients and distributed comic books. The mayor plans to meet a wide Range of Black and White leaders during his stay. He came at the invitation of Mandela s Anc the leading Black opposition group. Mandela who came to symbolize the anti apartheid movement during his 27 years in prison hugged Dinkins As he left the plane. Mandela visited new York last year during a tour of the United states after his release from prison. He praised Dinkins As a one of the Foremost anti apartheid fighters in the United