On October 1, 2024 the Prosecutor signed the indictment under the criminal case regarding smuggling of exceptionally large amounts of drugs, illegal circulation of drugs and money laundering as well as regarding the persons assisting them and submitted the materials of the proceedings to the court.

Under the criminal proceedings it was found out that R.M. citizen of the Islamic Republic of Iran with the intention of organizing drug smuggling and illegal circulation of exceptionally large amounts of drugs in the territory of the Republic of Armenia for a long time, created and managed a criminal organization during 2022. A.G., H.N., A.V. and other persons not yet identified by the investigation, were members of the mentioned organization. R.M., as the head of the criminal organization, ensured the transfer of different types of drugs in especially large amounts from the Islamic Republic of Iran to the territory of the Republic of Armenia without customs control and afterwards their delivery to the participants of the criminal organization A.G., H.N., or persons acting on their behalf in the areas adjacent to the border with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

A.G., H.N., A.V. and other persons not identified by the investigation ensured  acquiring and transportation of the drugs constituting object of smuggling to the territory of the Republic of Armenia through T.M., H.M., E.H., R.N., V.Vo. and other persons not identified by the investigation (they are not members of the criminal organization) and illegal sale of those drugs.

After the sale of the drugs they received AMD 89 million 283 thousand and for hiding its criminal origin, those amounts were initially received in various cryptocurrency accounts and various digital wallets and afterwards those amounts were converted and transferred to different digital wallets registered in the Republic of Armenia under the name of different individuals, however actually managed by the criminal organization. At the end those amounts were cashed out or otherwise managed by the organization.

Moreover it was found out that R.M. the head of the criminal organization, with the intention of organizing drug smuggling and illegal circulation of drugs in especially large amounts, in February 2024, an individual, not identified by the investigation transferred different types of drugs totally amounting to 12 kg to the territory of the Republic of Armenia by throwing the packages over the barbed wire (methadone, methamphetamine and cannabis) which, H.M., R.N. and E.H. tried to obtain pursuant to the assignment of the criminal organization and with the help of V.Vo., however they were found and arrested by RA National Security Service officers.

The prosecutor initiated a public criminal prosecution against the head of the criminal organization, members of the mentioned organization as well as against 9 individuals involved in the drug smuggling, illegal drug circulation and money laundering.

Notice:  A person charged with any crime shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty in the manner prescribed by the RA Criminal Procedure Code—by the judgment came into legal force.