Cutting and Piercing Tools, 1.5 Liters of Vodka, Homemade Wine Tincture: Results of Searches in Correctional Facilities

On the eve of the New Year, attempts were made to smuggle drugs and prohibited items into correctional facilities, which were thwarted. This was reported by the public relations department of the Correctional Service of the Ministry of Justice of Armenia.

On December 29, at around 01:10, employees of the "Armavir" Correctional Facility conducted a personal search of inmate A.S., who had been returned from a medical center in Vagharshapat. They discovered a package wrapped in adhesive tape weighing 50 grams, containing a greenish substance resembling marijuana.

On the same day, around 23:30, a guard at the "Armavir" Correctional Facility noticed an individual approaching the facility for the purpose of throwing items over the wall. Immediate measures were taken to prevent further actions from the individual, and the Vagharshapat police department of the Armavir region was notified. During a search of the area by the correctional officers, two packages left by the individual were found, and during his personal search, one package was discovered. The packages contained 17 cell phones, 2 batteries, and a total of 1,615 white pills without factory packaging or labeling.

On December 30, at around 03:30, an attempt to throw items into the territory of the "Sevan" Correctional Facility was thwarted. Responding to the notification from a guard, officers discovered a package wrapped in adhesive tape weighing a total of 200.8 grams. To ensure weight, the package contained 3 bolts, 4 weighted rings, and a rectangular piece of metal, while its contents included a 6 ml syringe filled with 0.5 mg of liquid resembling anhydride, 0.5 grams of a substance resembling opium, and 2.5 grams of a greenish substance resembling marijuana packed in the cut fingers of medical rubber gloves.

Materials are being prepared regarding these incidents. A forensic chemical examination has been appointed. Additionally, on December 30, scheduled and unscheduled searches were carried out in the "Inmates Hospital", "Kosh", "Vanadzor", "Armavir", and "Hrazdan" correctional facilities to uncover prohibited items.

Employees of the "Inmates Hospital" Correctional Facility found 1 cell phone, 3 headphones, 3 SIM cards, 47 cutting and piercing items, 1 handmade rope, 209 playing cards, 1 homemade electric tile, 1 water heater, as well as 5 liters of homemade wine tincture and 0.250 liters of alcohol.

From the "Kosh" Correctional Facility, 7 cell phones, 1 tablet, 2 batteries, 9 chargers, 12 USB cables, 9 headphones, 2 flash drives, and 1 SIM card were confiscated, along with 107 playing cards, 2 pairs of handmade dice, 1 homemade water heater, 6 liters of homemade wine, 1 liter of vodka, and 27 kg of homemade vodka tincture.

From the cells of the "Hrazdan" Correctional Facility, prohibited items were also found and removed from illegal circulation, including 3 cell phones, 1 SIM card, 3 headphones, 5 chargers, and 3 batteries, as well as 1 homemade water heater, 4 bags secured with ropes for transfers, and 1 homemade tattooing device.

At about 12:15 on December 30, during a delivery from citizen A.M. to inmate H.A. at the "Armavir" Correctional Facility, it was found that two of the 10 bottles of mineral water contained a liquid with a smell characteristic of vodka.

On the same day, unscheduled searches were also conducted in various cells of the "Armavir" Correctional Facility, resulting in the discovery of 6 cell phones, 3 SIM cards, 1 headphone, 2 Wi-Fi devices, 76 factory-produced playing cards, 2 handmade backgammon boards with their dice, and 27 cutting and piercing tools.

Unscheduled searches were also conducted in the cells of the "Vanadzor" Correctional Facility, leading to the discovery of 2 cell phones, 2 chargers, 5 cutting and piercing tools, 1.5 liters of homemade vodka, and 0.5 liters of homemade wine tincture.