Criminal Underworld Crime Uncovered: Lawmaker Arrested

The Special Investigation Division of the Republic of Armenia's Prosecutor General's Office has uncovered a case involving a "thief-in-law," a person of the highest rank in the criminal hierarchy, who led a criminal group associated with the underground criminal culture. This case also includes instances where individuals sought the illegal influence of criminal authorities to resolve personal disputes.

The criminal case was initiated by the Criminal Investigation Department of the ARM Ministry of Internal Affairs on August 21, 2020, and was subsequently transferred to the main investigation department of the Republic of Armenia’s Investigative Committee. Following joint efforts by police officers and the investigative team on August 25, 2020, searches led to the arrest of the "thief-in-law," a group member led by a criminal authority, and a participant involved in the group's objectives.

Investigations revealed that a citizen, seeking to retrieve stolen property through apparent fraud, approached the criminal authority, who agreed to utilize illegal means to resolve the dispute while demanding a portion of the money as a precondition for the resolution.

Furthermore, it was established that the "thief-in-law," upon learning that an individual with an outstanding debt had been taken and held by a member of a criminal group, instructed a criminal authority to release the individual so he could personally resolve the dispute.

On August 26, 2020, the Yerevan General Jurisdiction Court decided to arrest the "thief-in-law" as a preventive measure. All necessary actions are being taken to clarify the full scope of involved participants and associates within the group.

Notice: A suspect or an accused individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the law, as stated by a legally binding court decision.