VIDEO: How Kokobelyan's Father was Abducted and Where He was Held: New Details Released from the Criminal Case

On July 27, a report was received at the Ijevan police headquarters stating that an 83-year-old man from the village of Achajur in Tavush region had gone missing. Urgent measures were taken to locate him. Unfortunately, these efforts were in vain.

Arthur Aivazyan, Senior Investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia, presented: “The day after the report, a criminal case was initiated in the Tavush Regional Investigative Department on the grounds of murder. Numerous investigative actions were conducted, during which it was established that on the day of the incident, around 7 in the morning, a silver 'Opel' car was seen on the street opposite the victim's house. Meanwhile, neighboring residents heard strange noises coming from the victim’s backyard but did not pay attention, thinking that the workers who worked in the victim’s garden had arrived.” A survey of the crime scene revealed that the camera installed in front of the victim's house had been misaligned, reinforcing the assumption that the victim had not walked away in an unknown direction but rather that a crime had taken place.

Officers from the Criminal Police also joined the investigation to clarify the circumstances of the person’s disappearance, and two days after the incident, they received information indicating that the 83-year-old man had been abducted from near his home on the morning of July 27.

The theory of abduction was already circulating within the Criminal Police, and surveillance was being carried out, which led to the discovery that the relatives of the missing person had received a message through a mobile application, offering to release the hostage in exchange for money. It later became clear that the authorities were dealing with meticulously organized extortion.

The Cyber Crime Division of the Criminal Police also joined the case. Their actions revealed that the crime was an organized transnational operation. Armen Abrahamyan, Deputy Head of the Cyber Crime Division, stated: “With the measures undertaken, it was discovered that the perpetrators, in order to cover their tracks, contacted the victim's relatives via a WhatsApp account registered with a Ukrainian phone number, and throughout the communication, they used VPN services. Through our partners in the Cyber Police of Ukraine, it was quickly established that the mentioned phone number was not registered by their mobile operators.”

Thanks to the actions taken by employees of the Cyber Crime Division, it was found that the phone number had been acquired from a website that sells virtual phone numbers. Furthermore, it was revealed that access to WhatsApp through that number had been obtained from the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

This latest information suggested active international cooperation. Considering the importance of the matter, the leadership of the Armenian Police intervened in the case. Without disclosing certain sensitive details, it can be said that on the path to uncovering the crime, our police actively and effectively collaborated not only with the relevant bodies of Ukraine but also with the U.S. Department of Justice's Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Sector and the police of the Islamic Republic of Iran. After studying and analyzing the already obtained information, it was decided to organize the cooperation at the highest level. The ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Armenia was invited to the police department, and thanks to his efforts, international cooperation in the investigation of the crime was at the highest level in every regard.

Enough information was exchanged with the Cyber Police of Iran and the Interpol officers in Tehran to identify the individuals sending the messages. Iranian partners quickly located and arrested them. A search of the seized computer equipment also found correspondence with the relatives of the abducted person in Armenia. Moreover, the Iranian authorities identified the individual who had sent the message from Armenia; he was a 37-year-old resident of Ijevan.

The next step was to resolve technical issues and establish a solid evidentiary basis. Arthur Aivazyan noted: “During the preliminary investigation, information was received from the Criminal Police Headquarters indicating that the crime had been committed by residents of Tavush region. Comprehensive investigative and procedural actions were carried out to substantiate these hypotheses, during which various surveillance videos were seized, call data related to the crime was collected from mobile operators, and numerous individuals were interrogated. The combined efforts supported the connection of the identified individuals with the crime.”

Although during this time, unaware of the law enforcement actions, the relatives of the hostage acted under the guidance of extortionists, a full picture of the crime had already begun to emerge at the Criminal Police Headquarters. Two of the extortionists were Ijevan residents, aged 37 and 25. Other individuals were also involved, but providing information about them is not deemed opportune at this time.

In an attempt to conceal their tracks, the extortionists changed their vehicles with every new step they took. On the morning of July 27, they abducted the 83-year-old man, blindfolded him, and transported him in a silver 'Opel' vehicle, along field paths. During this time, they switched the hostage to a 'Toyota Prado' registered under the name of the 37-year-old’s father-in-law, with which they reached the village of Tsater in Lori region, where they had previously rented a guesthouse to hold the hostage. Deprived of contact with the outside world, he was kept under supervision, even receiving water and food through masked individuals. It was also found that they demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency for his release. The requirement for payment in cryptocurrency was also a method to hide traces, although this obstacle did not deter law enforcement.

They managed to identify the owner of the crypto wallet related to the ransom, who was already among those arrested by Iranian law enforcement. During this time, the relatives of the victim continued virtual communication with the extortionists and eventually reached an agreement.

Aivazyan detailed: “The perpetrators demanded that $3 million be transferred to the cryptocurrency wallet they specified. However, after negotiations, an agreement was reached for around $200,000, which was to be paid in installments. After receiving $20,000, the hostage was released, with the condition that the remaining amount would need to be paid after his release. The victim’s relatives also transferred another $20,000 to the criminals’ specified wallet.”

On August 2, extortionists took a ‘Hyundai Sonata’ from one of their acquaintances on Gulbenkian street in Yerevan and proceeded to the village of Tsater. They made a brief stop near a shop during the drive. Upon reaching the guesthouse in Tsater, they transported the hostage again by the same vehicle, still with blindfolded eyes, to a location near the village of Hovk in Tavush region and released him. Again through the internet, using a Armenia-Iran-Armenia connection, they informed the relatives where to find the 83-year-old man, and that’s where his family located him.

By August 11, everything was in place to conclude the investigation. Around 4 PM, using a completely different vehicle, police intercepted the extortionists, arrested them, and brought them forward to the preliminary investigation body. The investigation continues. Operational and investigative measures are being undertaken to clarify all circumstances of the crime, the actions of other members of the criminal group, including those involved in the crime from the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and compensating the damages inflicted on the victim’s relatives.

The Armenian police emphasize that they highly appreciate the assistance of international partners, not only in this specific case but in general. The police are confident that the close cooperation established with the police forces of friendly countries is indispensable, and this exemplary episode of cooperation will not be an isolated incident, but rather a regular occurrence.