Arrest Made in Kidnapping of Police Colonel's Nephew

On December 15, officers from the Arabkir division's criminal investigation department apprehended four individuals suspected of kidnapping 23-year-old Hovhannes Khmelian, a resident of Arabkir, on December 12. This was reported by Shamshyan.com.

According to G. Shamshyan's sources, on December 12 at 11:30 PM, the four suspects kidnapped H. Khmelian from Adontzi Street using a Mercedes vehicle, employing violence during the abduction. They subsequently transported him to one of the villas located at the Kanaker Hydro Electric Power Station and held him there for several hours, during which they assaulted him. During the assault, they threatened H. Khmelian with a firearm and a knife.

The Arabkir police have identified the kidnappers as 39-year-old Sarkis Mkrtchyan, 35-year-old Gor Hovhannisyan, 38-year-old Karen Jumayan, and 28-year-old Armen Mkrtchyan, all residents of Yerevan's Adontzi Street.

According to information from a photojournalist, the kidnapped H. Khmelian is the nephew of Samvel Khmelian, the acting head of the police department in Armavir and a police colonel. He is also a witness in another criminal case related to an attempted murder with the use of firearms and causing gunshot wounds to two individuals in the yard of a building on Tigranyan Street in the Arabkir district.

A criminal case has been initiated under the characteristics of kidnapping.