Armenian Administrative Head of Mastara Detained in Artik: Reasons Revealed

On March 15, the Armenian National Police received operational information indicating that 31-year-old Artak Mnatsakanyan, a resident of Shirak Province, was in possession of illegal drugs. According to shamshyan.com, Mnatsakanyan is the administrative head of the Mastara community in the Talin enlarged community.

On the same day, an operational group was established at the Artik police department, and the police received information that he was located in Shirak Province. Based on substantial grounds for immediate suspicion of illegally acquiring, possessing, and preparing drugs, the police detained him at the intersection of Sasuntsi David and Garibjanian streets in Artik and took him to the police station.

During a personal search at the scene, 1.57 grams of a greenish, uniquely aromatic plant mass wrapped in paper were found in Mnatsakanyan’s coat pocket. Artak M. informed the police that the found substance was dried stems of the cannabis plant, which he had harvested last September from wild-growing cannabis in the area known as 'Fermen' in Mastara, dried, and kept for future use.

Documents on the case have been prepared at the Artik police department and forwarded to the Shirak regional investigative division of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia, where a criminal case has been initiated.