1.5 Million Drams Collected from Prisons as ‘Greff’ Under the Orders of ‘Thief-in-Law’, Most of the Money Embezzled: Investigative Committee

The Armenian Investigative Committee has reported that under the orders of a ‘thief-in-law’, various penitentiaries in Armenia have collected 1.5 million drams, cigarettes, and tea as ‘greff’. According to the committee's press service, four members of a criminal subculture group, under the clear directive of ‘thief-in-law’ E.J., received approximately 1,500 boxes of cigarettes, 300 boxes of tea, and around 1,500,000 drams in cash from different individuals for the organized ‘greff’ of convicts in various penitentiaries of Armenia.

It is noted that members of the criminal group A.N., K.G., V.M., and A.M. carried out these actions between December 15 and 27, 2021. According to the report, A.N. distributed these items in penal institutions and sent 350,000 drams from the collected money as so-called ‘greff’, while the remainder was spent for personal needs.

Additionally, in November 2021, a resident of Stepanavan had a dispute with a former acquaintance over a financial matter. The latter, seeking to protect his interests, approached A.N., a member of the criminal subculture. He attempted to resolve the issue, presenting himself as a ‘thief-boy’. Following the statement that he does not recognize A.N.’s authority, A.N., K.G., V.M., A.M., and other individuals met with him and assaulted him for expressing his opinion, after which E.J. resolved the dispute, the Investigative Committee reported.

It turns out that several citizens also approached A.N. and K.G. to reclaim various amounts of borrowed money. They organized the repayment process according to the behavioral rules established and recognized by their criminal subculture. The Committee has information that in some cases, half of the money was embezzled by them.

A.N. also mediated in disputes arising between various individuals, ensuring that the ‘rules of life’ as understood by them were adhered to. On February 7, 2022, during a dispute over domestic issues at the beginning of a bridge in Stepanavan, a resident of the city stabbed another participant of the dispute twice with a knife. Subsequently, A.N. and K.G. listened to both sides of the argument and discussed it, concluding that the aforementioned resident of Stepanavan was in the wrong. For punishment, they called him to the vicinity of an old bakery in the city, where they slapped him as a form of retribution.

Thus, the above-mentioned four members of the subculture group have been charged. Pre-trial detention has been applied as a measure of restraint against them. Additionally, a public criminal prosecution has been launched against ‘thief-in-law’ E.J. under part 2, point 5 of Article 323 of the Criminal Code of Armenia (creating or leading a criminal subculture group). Pre-trial detention was also chosen as a measure against him, and he has been placed on the wanted list. E.J. was located in Spain and arrested. Appropriate measures are being taken to arrange his transfer to Armenia.