Over 50,000 subscribers registered for drug selling platforms and Telegram channels in Armenia: Arghishti Kyaramyan

On October 9, an extended session of the Armenian Investigative Committee was held to mark its 9th anniversary and the day of the Committee's officers. According to the Investigative Committee, the Chairman Arghishti Kyaramyan delivered a speech, excerpts of which are presented below:

“Esteemed Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, dear officers of the Investigative Committee, I warmly congratulate all of us on the 9th anniversary of the establishment of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia and on the occasion of the day of the system's officer!

The Investigative Committee continues to bear the heavy and responsible mission of conducting pre-trial investigations into the overwhelming majority of reported criminal violations. During the past period, the subunits conducting pre-trial proceedings within the Committee have continued to operate under extraordinarily heavy workloads. More than 150,000 cases have been examined by investigative bodies empowered to conduct pre-trial investigations in the Republic, with around 98% of the investigations being carried out by the respective subunits of the Committee.

Moreover, it should be noted that the work of the Committee in the first half of 2023 has significantly differed in scope from previous years, which is attributed to the implementation of the new Criminal Procedure Code.

Various subunits of the Committee, especially those of the Main Military Investigative Department, are still investigating acts of aggression carried out by Azerbaijan's military-political leadership against the territories of Syunik and Gegharkunik on May 12, 2021, between November 14-16, 2021 in Ishkhanasar and Jermuk, and from September 13-15, 2022 in Jermuk, Sotk, Vardenis, Goris, Kapan, Artanish, Ishkhanasar and other locations.

The investigation established that during the September aggression, over 150 civilian objects were hit by the adversary, including residential houses, schools, vehicles, and civil infrastructures.

Within the scope of criminal proceedings, significant investigative and procedural actions have been carried out, which included searching over 100 crime scenes, questioning more than 4,000 witnesses and victims, and appointing over 500 expert examinations.

The conduct of offenses against military service rules during acts of aggression has also been subjects of investigation. Specifically, the violations of combat duty by senior officers responsible for protection towards Gegharkunik on May 12, 2021, have been uncovered, which allowed the adversary to penetrate up to 3.5 km into the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia without resistance.

Charges have been brought against high-ranking officers with the ranks of Major General and Colonel, with detention as a preventive measure. The criminal case has been sent to court with an accusatory conclusion.

Additionally, violations of combat duty and improper organization of combat duties have been identified for November 14, 2021 actions aimed at Ishkhanasar Mountain, leading to the adversary capturing 21 servicemen and killing three.

Public criminal prosecutions have been initiated against a total of 10 servicemen, including commanders of the army corps, units, companies, platoons, squads implicated in these criminal acts, and the criminal cases have been sent to court with accusatory conclusions.

Investigations into the individual actions of Armed Forces servicemen during the September 2022 aggression have also been launched, resulting in 27 criminal cases. Accusations have been pressed against 17 servicemen, out of which six have been detained.

Five of the criminal cases have been sent to court with an accusatory conclusion, and pre-trial investigations are ongoing for the others.

It is important to particularly mention that all possible circumstances regarding missing persons in the context of numerous criminal cases initiated due to acts directed against peace and human security by Azerbaijan’s military-political leadership have been subjects of investigation.

Separate reports describing the circumstances of disappearances have been prepared and forwarded to the interdepartmental commission dealing with issues of captives, hostages, and missing persons.

The results of the investigations carried out into war crimes, including evidence obtained regarding missing persons, have been regularly presented to the Office of the Representative for International Legal Matters, the Interdepartmental Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and competent authorities as well as individual human rights defenders.

Due to the limited time allocated for the speech, it is impossible to present all statistical indicators of the work done by the Committee’s subdivisions across various directions. Perhaps as an exception, in the context of establishing legality in the country and strengthening the rule of law, I will only address the main findings of the pre-trial investigations initiated over criminal organizations, individuals with a criminal subculture, and crimes committed with their participation.

In 2022-2023, the subdivisions of the Committee initiated and examined 41 criminal cases regarding crimes committed by individuals with a criminal subculture, out of which 14 have been sent to court with an accusatory conclusion, one case has been dismissed, and pre-trial investigations are still ongoing for the remaining 26.

During the same period, 4,029 criminal cases were examined regarding illegal drug trafficking, accusations were pressed against 1,063 individuals, and detention was applied as a preventive measure for 287 others. The market value of the drugs discovered and withdrawn from circulation exceeds 400 million AMD, while the potential financial means obtained from illegal drug trafficking amounts to over 3 billion AMD.

49 shop platforms registered on social networks have been identified, with only one of them operating 65 Telegram channels for drug selling. The total number of subscribers registered for shop platforms and Telegram channels in Armenia exceeds 50,000.

Laboratory-equipped rooms have been found, where drugs were prepared and supplied to these platforms.

As of October 1 of this year, approximately 24 billion AMD of damages caused by criminal cases examined by the Investigative Committee have been recovered, with over 23 billion AMD corresponding to damages caused to the state and communities.

The newly established Main Department for the Investigation of Economic Crimes and Smuggling within the Committee has a significant role in recovering damages caused to the state. In the fight against economic crimes, the department has reported an unprecedented recovery of damages caused to the state, amounting to around 19 billion AMD, within the first eight months of this year.

Furthermore, the department has also recorded positive results in increasing the number of completed criminal cases.

I am confident that the newly established unit will continue to take effective measures to enhance the efficiency of fighting crimes in its assigned area and to improve the recovery efforts for property damages caused to the state.

I also find it important to mention the ongoing criminal proceedings regarding automobile import processes in the Republic of Armenia. As a result of the principled work carried out by the investigative and state revenue committees of the Republic of Armenia regarding 135 economic operators engaged in automobile importation and sale, criminal cases have been initiated for alleged criminal offenses related to this activity. Since January 1, 2023, a total of approximately 8.5 billion AMD of damages caused to the state has been recovered in these proceedings, of which about 7.5 billion AMD has been deducted from VAT, around 756 million AMD has been additionally paid to the state budget for VAT, profit tax, and income tax, and 163 million AMD has been deposited into the deposit account of the Investigative Committee.

It should also be noted that apart from recovering damages, the proceedings have led to reports of a VAT loss amounting to around 6 billion AMD for the entities engaged in the aforementioned activity. I believe that this substantial work done together has had a significant positive impact on the automobile importation and sales sector.

I want to briefly address the recent mass disturbances that occurred in the city of Yerevan, emphasizing that the Investigative Committee has effectively conducted and will continue to fulfill its mission in ensuring public safety and upholding the rule of law. Taking this opportunity, I would like to express my gratitude to our partner institutions in the law enforcement system—the Police, the National Security Service, and the Prosecutor's Office—for their effective collaboration.

Dear colleagues, the successes documented by the Committee are the result of the tireless work of the professional officers constituting the backbone of the system. This is why the correct selection of the Committee's personnel, professional training, continuous improvement of practical skills, and the consistent elevation of theoretical knowledge remain crucial directions in our personnel work.

Pursuing the objective of addressing this issue, the Committee's qualification board has initially adopted and continues to uphold a consistently high standard. Since October of last year, as a result of more than 70 meetings of the qualification board, 311 individuals holding autonomous positions within the Committee have undergone qualification checks during the latest certification process.

This year, significant work has been carried out to fill the vacant positions within the Committee. Consequently, 125 individuals have been appointed to the Committee. Additionally, out of 130 investigators transferred from investigatory bodies to the Committee, 90 have been included in the candidates list for investigators following qualification checks and have been assigned to relevant positions.

We have also consistently addressed disciplinary actions against investigators who have periodically failed to fulfill their duties, demonstrated an irresponsible attitude towards their obligations, and tarnished the reputation of the system. This year, disciplinary measures have been taken against 99 investigators based on violations, including the dismissal of 11 investigators from their positions. There are far more cases where personnel unable to meet stringent requirements have voluntarily left our ranks.

We will continue to demonstrate maximum intolerance towards those employees exhibiting issues with discipline and professional conduct, aiming to keep the system free from opportunists, those who do not value the position they hold, and those showing irresponsible attitudes towards their service obligations.

Honorably, officers of the Investigative Committee, your diligent and hard work has recently been recognized through a law adopted by the National Assembly at the initiative of the Government of Armenia, which has significantly increased the remuneration for the services of the Committee's officers since July 1 of this year. This long-awaited event is a crucial step towards maintaining the healthy personnel potential of the system, preventing the outflow of professional staff, and replenishing the system with new worthy specialists.

Taking this opportunity, I wish to express my gratitude to the Government and personally to you, esteemed Prime Minister, for the unprecedented initiative regarding the valuation of the work of the Committee's officers, which I am confident will further enhance the attractiveness of serving in the Investigative Committee.

Regarding the ongoing efforts to continuously improve working conditions within the Committee's subdivisions, I find it essential to emphasize that maximum efforts have been exerted this year in this direction. I am pleased to announce that the military investigative subunits of the Committee will continue their operations in newly renovated buildings financed by the state budget, notably the 6th garrison investigative division in Lori province and the investigative subunits of Yerevan city’s Ajapnyak and Davtashen administrative districts. By the end of the year, the renovation of the new administrative building allocated to the Investigative Committee at 43 Khanzhyan Street in Yerevan will be completed. Additionally, efforts are underway to acquire a new office building for the Committee, which will significantly improve working conditions for investigators in the central bodies.

Notably, this year has also seen continuous modernization of the Committee’s work and legislative reforms resulting in the implementation of innovations. The technical means necessary for investigative actions subject to mandatory audiovisual recording under the new Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia have been successfully introduced, including cameras, related equipment, and the initial phase technological means required for transitioning to electronic pre-trial investigations.

I am confident that this component, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the state policy implemented in our country choosing the path of unwavering democracy, will soon bear visible fruits, and we will have significantly improved indicators in the field of pre-trial investigations.

In concluding my remarks, I would like to once again congratulate everyone on the occasion of the Day of the Committee Officer. I want to thank all employees of the system for their dedication, endurance, and uncomplaining overcoming of service difficulties. I wish you strong health, new successes, and may God protect us and our sovereign statehood!”