The Department for Struggle with the Social Property theft and speculation (DSSP) was founded

In the end of 1930s in the USSR it became necessary to create special agencies to struggle with crimes encroaching upon the state economic security.

On March 16, 1937 under a decree of the People’s Commissar for domestic affairs of the USSR in the Chief Directorate of the police of the People’s Commissariat for domestic affairs was organized the department for struggle with the social property theft and speculation – DSSP.

The department was created ‘to secure the struggle with the social property theft in organizations and institutions of the state commerce, of consumer, enterprise and individual cooperation, supplier company and branches of the saving bank and also to struggle with speculation’. It was comprised of the most prepared employees of the Criminal Investigation Department and economic departments of the People’s Commissariat for domestic affairs.

Formerly a part of these functions was vested with the Military revolutionary committee and the all-Russian Extraordinary Commission. Within its structure there were the departments for struggle with speculation and crimes in public office.

The main objective of the DSSP in the pre-war period was the organization of special events intended for reduction of embezzlement and theft in organizations, at the enterprises of state commerce and consumer cooperation.

During the Great Patriotic War the DSSP employees along with the immediate participation in military actions ensured the control over the enterprises’ and organizations’ activities, the systematic supply of the front and the defense industry with the necessary resources.

In the past-war period the agencies of the DSSP were charged with prevention of theft of material means assigned for the restoration of destroyed cities, of the national economy.

After the collapse of USSR, in February of 1992 the Chief Directorate for economic crimes was created as a part of the Ministry of Home Affairs. In 1997 it was renamed to the Chief Directorate for struggle with economic crimes under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

In June of 2001 the Chief Directorate for struggle with economic crimes became a part of the Service of criminal policy under the Ministry of Home Affairs of Russia. Two years later in the Ministry started to function the Federal service for economic and tax crimes. In 2005, following an administrative reform it was transformed into the Department of economic security under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

At present the Department is charged with the participation in the development of the essential lines of the state policy in the field of economic security; in the improvement of the normative legal regulation in the field of economic security; taking measures for struggle with tax and economic crimes within the limits of its competence; organizational and methodic management of the subdivisions for struggle with economic and tax crimes under the Chief directorates of the Ministry of Home Affairs in federal districts, of the Ministries of Home Affairs, the Departments of home affairs in the regions of the Russian Federation, etc.