More than 400 residents of Chechnya have been declared missing in 2003, Deputy Prime Minister Movsur Khamidov told Interfax on Monday. \"Over 400 residents have been abducted or declared missing in the Chechen Republic since the beginning of the year,\" he said. Khamidov, who is in charge of law-enforcement departments, said that the rate of abductions in Chechnya had been reducing. \"The rate is on the decline as a result of rapid reactions. Chechen President [Akhmad Kadyrov] has given a great deal of attention to solving this problem, and the republican interior ministry has become more efficient,\" he said. However, prosecutors could have investigated abductions of Chechen residents more efficiently, Khamidov said. \"There have been changes for the better in the prosecutors\' investigation of abductions, but, alas, these changes are minor. The situation is nevertheless improving though,\" he said. All vehicles in Chechnya, both civilian and military, must have license plates in order to help contain abductions, Khamidov noted. \"Vehicles without license plates are one of the main problems in the republic. A total of 374 vehicles without license plates but with tinted windows have been detained in the past ten days alone. The problem of military vehicles without license plates and insignia should be solved as well, and we will consider a solution together with the military command,\" he said. \"The republic has law-enforcement departments capable of providing for order and security and fighting against criminals and terrorism. There are ordinances, directives and instructions for doing that. We must make it so that they begin functioning as one and the same mechanism,\" Khamidov said. (Interfax)