Police Conduct Operation ‘I’ll Cut Your Illegal Weapon with Sugar’ in Yerevan; Arrests Made

Operational information was received at the Central Division of the Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia that an armed citizen was in a Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle with license plate 06 LS 600. It is noteworthy that this information was obtained yesterday, on March 31.

According to Shamshyan.com, an operational group was established on site under the leadership of Yervand Nikoyan, the head of the Central Division of the Police.

By the order of Sevan Kocharyan, the head of the police department for Yerevan city, specialized forces from the 1st platoon of the special purpose battalion (Red Berets) joined the operational group.

The media reports that since the police were confident that the received operational information was credible, the operation began at 19:10, under the name ‘I’ll Cut Your Illegal Weapon with Sugar’ as decided by the head of the Central Division, Y. Nikoyan.

Police arrested 45-year-old Gevorg Manukyan, a resident of the Ajapnyak administrative district of Yerevan, and 32-year-old Arsen Kirakosyan, a resident of the Malatia-Sebastia administrative district, on suspicion of illegal possession and carrying of firearms and ammunition near 28 Khorenatsi Street. Kirakosyan was the driver, and during a personal search, a 9 mm Makarov-type combat pistol without a factory serial number was found in his bag, with a magazine containing 8 bullets.

The Toyota Land Cruiser was taken to a special storage area of the Central Division of the Police of the Republic of Armenia, and G. Manukyan and A. Kirakosyan were presented to the investigative department of the Investigative Committee of Armenia for the Central and Norq-Marash administrative districts, where, by the investigator's decision, they were arrested and placed in a detention center (КПЗ).

According to G. Shamshyan’s information, G. Manukyan is the nephew of former National Assembly deputy and prominent businessman Samvel Aleksanyan, while A. Kirakosyan is his driver.