The Russian government has admitted that parts of the police have been turned into what the Interior Minister has described as criminal businesses. It is the most frank admission so far of corruption and other crimes being committed by members of the police. It came after a senior policeman in southern Russia posted a video on the internet in which he appealed to the Prime Minister to tackle the problem. It is the latest in a series of highly embarrassing revelations about police. Earlier this year, a senior police officer went on a shooting spree in a Moscow supermarket killing three people. The incident was recorded on security cameras and the video was widely broadcast on Russian TV and on the internet. The Interior Minister has announced that any policeman accused of committing serious crimes will face prosecution.