"What Can a Black Soap Do to a Black Eyed?" Operation Conducted with Vehicles Linked to Criminals

Yesterday, the operational units of the patrol service of the Gegharkunik region of the Republic of Armenia received information that vehicles of the brands "Range Rover" and "Mercedes" were driving around with fully tinted windows and darkened side glass.

Photojournalist Gagik Shamshyan reports that an operation titled "What Can a Black Soap Do to a Black Eyed?" is being carried out under the direction of the battalion commander. Patrol officers are verifying the alleged routes of the vehicles and are laying ambushes on several road segments. Shortly after, the specified vehicles are stopped for inspection on the 55 km section of the Yerevan-Sevan-Ijevan highway.

It turns out that the driver of the "Mercedes," 24-year-old Arthur Gasparyan, was driving without a driver's license, and the vehicle did not have a mandatory insurance contract or technical inspection. The side windows were tinted, and the front windshield was also covered. The driver of the "Range Rover," 31-year-old Suren Harutyunyan, was similarly found to be operating the vehicle with tinted side windows and a covered front windshield. The mentioned vehicles are transported to the special area reserved by the patrol service of the Gegharkunik region.

The photojournalist reports that well-known individuals with criminal backgrounds were inside the vehicles, including 31-year-old Serge Vardanyan, the son of a criminal figure nicknamed “Chvchv Ara,” currently registered at the "Armavir" penitentiary and involved in several criminal cases. Also present were 29-year-old Volodya Mudiryan, who is under investigation for multiple criminal cases, and their associates, 40-year-old Suren Gasparyan and 29-year-old Gevorg Khoshtegyan, residents of the Arabkir administrative district of Yerevan.

When the patrol officers were transporting the vehicles to the reserve area, Serge Vardanyan, nicknamed "Serjulik," attempted to persuade the officers not to take the cars, claiming he needed to be home within an hour. He argued that if he was even a minute late, the court would change his bail conditions and he would have to "run back" to the Armavir penitentiary. Seeing he couldn't convince the officers, he returned to Yerevan by taxi.