CdSe crystals were grown by the seeded physical vapor transport method with helium on CdS0.67Se0.33 seeds. A Crse source was used for doping of both the CdSe and CdS0.67Se0.33 seed crystals with chromium during growth. An absorption peak in the near-IR range of 1.5-2.2 mu m associated with the intracenter T-5(2)-> E-5 transitions of Cr2+ ions was realized. The Cr2+ concentration in the various samples was calculated using the experimentally obtained peak values of the absorption coefficients, and it was found to vary from 1017 to 3 x 10(18)cm(-3). A 'blue' shift of the Cr2+ -related near-IR absorption band maximum in CdS0.67Se0.33 relatively to the Cdse matrix was demonstrated for the first tithe. The measured Hall mobility of charge carriers in CdSe crystals with Cr concentration at a level of 2 x 10(18)cm(-3) reached a maximum value of 6000 cm(2)/V s at 50K. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.