Eight Arrested in Connection with Ford Loaded with Stolen Goods Valued at 49 Million AMD

The Investigative Committee of Armenia has reported that eight individuals have been arrested as suspects related to a case involving the theft of several million drams worth of copper cables from the premises of Telecom Armenia in the Bagrevandi neighborhood on May 24.

According to photojournalist Gagik Shamshyan, the suspects include 28-year-old Mher H., 37-year-old Gurgen B., and 37-year-old Serik H., all from Yerevan, as well as 33-year-old Roland Kh. from Lori Province. Another two suspects, 38-year-old Manvel S. from Lori Province and 32-year-old Emin S. from Tavush Province, were detained after attempting to flee from a funeral home located near the Adorr funeral parlor in the Bagrevandi neighborhood.

Also apprehended were 28-year-old Armen G. and 29-year-old Hovsep H. from Aragatsotn Province. The police also identified one of the fleeing individuals as 34-year-old Roman J. from Lori Province.

These individuals were arrested based on a decision by the investigator. Efforts are currently underway to locate Roman J., who remains at large.

The police and the investigative division suspect that others may also be involved in the group, and it is estimated that approximately 49 million AMD worth of copper cables were stolen from Telecom Armenia's premises over the course of a month. The pre-investigation of the criminal case is ongoing.

Earlier reports indicated that on May 24, a detective genre incident took place in Yerevan. The officers of the Nor Nork Division, led by Chief Igor Mesropyan, received operational information about thefts occurring in the territory belonging to ArmenTel in the Jrvajh neighborhood.

According to the photojournalist, the police arrived at the scene just as a Ford vehicle loaded with stolen goods was leaving the area. The patrol fired warning shots into the air, and seeing that the driver of the Ford was unresponsive, they then fired at the vehicle's tires. As a result, the Ford's driver lost control of the vehicle, crashing into basalt curb stones and trees before rolling about 200 meters to come to a stop in front of the Bakos restaurant complex.

After the rollover, the driver, a passenger beside him, and several others in the back attempted to flee, but the police and patrol officers managed to pursue and apprehend some of them.