Crime Rate in Armenia Increases by Over 24%

In 2022, the number of cases related to illegal drug trafficking increased by 76.3%, accompanied by a 94.9% rise in detected drug sales. The year 2023 is set to focus on combating drugs and the confiscation of illegal weapons and ammunition. This announcement was made by the Chief of the Armenian Police, Aram Hovhannisyan, during a session of the Police Board at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The information was reported by the press service of the ministry, summarizing the outcomes of operational and service activities in 2022.

Accordingly, the total number of recorded crimes in the country increased by 24.4% last year. Out of 7,367 reported cases, 3,602 involved individuals driving vehicles without a valid license, 997 cases accounted for causing serious bodily harm, 743 were related to illegal drug trafficking, and 173 pertained to the illegal circulation of weapons and military ammunition. In total, 37,612 incidents were registered.

“According to the main crime categories, there has been an increase in cases of deliberately causing serious harm to health, hooliganism, robbery, theft, fraud, and thefts committed through computer technology. At the same time, there has been a decrease in murders and thefts,” stated Vardan Vardanyan, Head of the Criminal Police Department during the Police Board session.

Throughout the year, 8 cases of human trafficking were registered in the country. The number of illegal drug trafficking cases rose by 76.3% in 2022, and simultaneously, a 94.9% increase in drug sale cases was detected. A total of 4,308 traffic accidents were recorded, resulting in 321 fatalities and 6,155 injuries.

Compared to the previous year, the number of accidents decreased by 296, deaths by 47, and injuries by 544. Summarizing the session, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Police Chief Aram Hovhannisyan assessed the work done as satisfactory, pointing out shortcomings and omissions, and issued relevant instructions to address them.