Criminal Group of Four Engaged in Residential Burglary Discovered

As a result of operational-investigative measures undertaken by the Tavush Division of the RA Police, a criminal group consisting of four individuals engaged in residential burglaries has been identified.

A criminal case has been initiated based on the characteristics of Article 177, paragraph 3, subparagraph 1.1 of the RA Criminal Code. The investigative body has submitted a petition to the court of general jurisdiction in Lori Province to select detention as a preventive measure, which has been granted.

The identification of the criminal group is the result of ongoing supervision by the Lori Province Prosecutor's Office, aimed at preventing residential burglaries and actively discovering individuals who commit crimes. To this end, the prosecutor of the province has repeatedly instructed the RA Police’s Lori Regional Department and its subordinate units to enforce specific criminal cases.

Considering the degree of public danger posed by residential burglaries, specific directives and instructions have also been provided to the investigative officers to ensure effective investigations, conduct quality examinations of the crime scene, and clarify the description of stolen items through the interrogation of individuals, among other important circumstances.

Additionally, between January and June 2021, a total of 38 petitions have been sent from the Lori Province Prosecutor’s Office to community leaders in the province, urging active involvement in preventive measures against residential burglaries. These petitions set out to take effective and active steps to equip areas of residential neighborhoods, the vicinity of multi-apartment buildings, their entrances with surveillance cameras, and to install special coded locks on the entrances of these buildings.

The petitions have been discussed with the involvement of specific prosecutors, which has led to the installation of 54 surveillance cameras at high-risk burglary locations in Vanadzor, including intersections leading to apartment building entrances, public squares, and roads leading to private homes, as well as 171 coded locks on the entrances of multi-apartment buildings. The community has committed to continue its efforts in these directions.

As a result of discussions on the petitions, 6 cameras were installed in the Spitak community, 10 in the Tashir community, and 4 in the Sarchepat community. Local authorities, including Akhtala community leaders, have expressed willingness to take steps for the continuous installation of cameras.

The implemented measures have already positively impacted the criminal dynamics related to residential burglaries in 2021, aiding the process of crime detection. Specifically, during this period, 49 residential burglaries have been recorded in the province, with charges brought against 28 individuals in various criminal cases. Detention has been selected as a preventive measure for 7 of them.

Moreover, in terms of crime detection and identification of criminals, significant roles in a considerable number of cases have been played by the analysis of recordings from installed cameras. These recordings are also of substantial importance for the disclosure of other types of criminal offenses.