Unknown Individuals Question Alaverdi Residents About Azerbaijan's Location, Attempt to Lure Child into Their Vehicle

Weirdly dressed individuals approached residents of Alaverdi yesterday evening, reportedly asking strange questions in poor Armenian and Russian about the distance to Azerbaijan. This was shared on Facebook by a user named Hratchya Papinyan.

Here is what Hratchya Papinyan wrote:

“All day today, the residents of Alaverdi have been discussing that yesterday evening, people with strange attire and appearance asked questions about how far Azerbaijan is and then disappeared. Supposedly, in another neighborhood, they offered candy and money to one child, trying to lure them into their vehicle, and the child ran away. Men searched for the outsiders at night but couldn’t find them. There is no official information; are these rumors to distract people's attention, or is it reality? If anyone knows anything else, please write to me; I guarantee confidentiality.”

In the comments on Papinyan’s post, a user named Varoujan Vardumyan also wrote:

“One and a half hours ago, one of the children from our building came running, out of breath and scared. At the Karik head bus stop, someone had asked questions, and the child tried to approach, but the person had tried to grab their hand. The child escaped and said they were chased for a bit before getting into a car and going down. We went down to the bus stop, but there was no one there. They said the person looked older, had white hair, and didn’t seem Armenian. The car was white, with only this part of the license plate remembered... 34 RV...”

Similar reports have also emerged from the village of Lichq in Gegharkunik Province. According to disseminated publications, two strange women were seen in the village visiting people’s homes and asking questions, afterwards reportedly taking pictures of residences and collecting various citizens' phone numbers.

A screenshot of the circulating information is presented below.

AuroraNews contacted the Alaverdi municipality of Lori Province to gather information regarding those suspected by the local residents.

The deputy mayor, Arthur Varosyan, stated in an interview that these are just rumors and conversations, and there is nothing concrete:

“The police and security forces are conducting relevant work, but there is still no clear official information,” noted the deputy mayor.

Varosyan informed that a citizen reported the incident to the police and described what happened, and the police have taken appropriate actions.

When asked if they were aware of reports that unknown individuals approached a child offering candy and money to get into their vehicle, Varosyan stated: “The person making the report said it was based on the child’s account. The community is on alert; when they see an unfamiliar person, they are suspicious. Our community is touristy; many people with different appearances come here. There’s no one who could vividly depict the appearance of a specific individual or clearly recount a conversation. Something might have happened, but now the security forces are looking into it, and they might come to some conclusions.”

AuroraNews also reached out to employees of the National Security Service of Armenia to understand what information, if any, is available regarding the mentioned incidents, and was informed that they are aware of the publications but have no comment.