Thefts Reported at the Northern Customs House

The Shirak Regional Prosecutor's Office has revealed that several thefts recorded in the region have occurred in the area under the jurisdiction of the Northern Customs House of the RA State Revenue Committee. This information was provided by the Public Relations Department of the RA Prosecutor General's Office.

Specifically, various citizens reported to the police regarding thefts in December 2019 and January 2020 of vehicle parts from cars that were parked in the area of the Northern Customs House in Gyumri for customs clearance by RA citizens who had purchased them abroad. These thefts included items ranging from headlights and electrical batteries to shields for the engine cooling battery, as well as protective frames for taillights, causing various amounts of material damage. In one instance, one of four heavy packages left there for customs clearance was stolen from the customs office's secured building.

As a result of the investigations prepared regarding these incidents, five criminal cases were initiated in April 2020 under various provisions of Article 177 of the RA Criminal Code, while one case was rejected due to lack of a complaint. An analysis of the materials of the criminal cases indicated certain similarities and patterns in the manner, timing, location, and circumstances of the crimes.

Initially, according to a letter received from the State Revenue Committee, there are seven cameras in the area of the Northern Customs House monitoring the parking lot for vehicles. However, it has been determined that these have limited memory capacity, which is why recordings have been preserved only from March 22 to 25, 2020. Notably, the security employees of the Northern Customs House were responsible for monitoring these vehicles, but they significantly failed to fulfill their duties and even exhibited clear neglect.

Moreover, vehicle owners paid specific amounts for the security of their vehicles and the inventory stored on-site, approximately 1300 or 1600 AMD per vehicle per day, for which receipts were provided. However, no mutual agreements or bilateral temporary custody documents were drafted or signed regarding this matter, creating conditions for evading responsibility.

It has also been found that the open areas designated for vehicle security were accessible to unauthorized persons, and that the customs territory is not fully fenced off. Furthermore, it is particularly noteworthy that a theft occurred within a closed storage building, despite the fact that the keys to the storage were held by security personnel and the doors and locks of the storage were undamaged.

In addition, it was clarified that inside the storage where the described items were stolen, there were no surveillance cameras present. Given the urgent need to protect citizens' property from criminal encroachments and eliminate the causes and conditions facilitating these crimes, Shirak Regional Prosecutor Karen Gabrielyan has submitted a request to the President of the State Revenue Committee, Davit Ananyan.

The regional prosecutor has called for effective measures to ensure that the security employees of the Northern Customs House demonstrate a responsible attitude toward their duties and to be more diligent in the prevention and detection of crimes. Furthermore, the need to identify individuals who have been negligent in their duties has been raised, initiating disciplinary actions against them, and if there are any elements of a potential criminal nature in their actions, to refer the matter to law enforcement agencies.

Additionally, it has been proposed to take active measures to prevent further crimes, especially by enhancing the surveillance of areas designated for the protection of citizens' belongings with cameras and reinforcing security in those areas.