VIDEO: 'Porsche' Buried in a Quarry: How 36 kg of Gold Bars and 293 Million Rubles Were Stolen

The Police of Armenia has provided details about a robbery in which 36 kg of gold bars and 293 million rubles were stolen. The report of the robbery was received by the Malatya Division of the Police on April 10. The actions of law enforcement yielded results on the same day due to their professionalism, collaboration among various agencies, and swift response.

It later became clear that the incident was a meticulously pre-planned crime involving specific roles and measures taken to eliminate traces of the crime. As of today, we can discuss factual details regarding the incident.

According to the evidence collected during the investigation, a group of individuals participated in this particularly serious crime, having created a criminal organization for the purpose of committing an armed robbery. They had prior information from an unspecified source about the intent of a resident in Russia to transfer a significant quantity of 36 kg gold bars and 293 million rubles through another individual via the Zvartnots Airport to Armenia on April 10.

Members of the criminal organization planned and assigned specific roles to each member for the purpose of violently stealing the mentioned items using firearms,” said Arthur Ghazaryan, the Deputy Head of the Investigative Department for Serious Crimes.

Thus, on April 10, at 7:15 am, a report was received at the Malatya Division that a robbery had occurred on Parakar’s Capital Street. The police response was routine. “We immediately went to the scene, and officers from the Yerevan City Administration, the Counterintelligence Service, as well as employees from the National Security Service arrived. Based on eyewitness and victim testimonies, it became clear that the robbery was carried out by at least four masked and armed individuals in a 'Porsche' vehicle resembling the uniform of the National Security Service,” recounted senior operative Zohrak Davtyan.

No signs indicated that the 'Porsche' had exited the sand quarry. It was presumed that the vehicle was still on-site. While law enforcement was heading to the crime scene, it was also discovered that the vehicle was fitted with license plates from another vehicle of the same model.

Later on, it was established that members of the criminal organization had, to disguise their movements, stolen the license plates from a parked vehicle near the intersection of Zakyan and Khorenatsi streets in Yerevan and affixed them to their 'Porsche.'

It also became apparent that during this time, another member of the group was monitoring the targeted individuals in the arrival hall of Zvartnots Airport, and when the arrivals and greeters exited the airport and got into a 'Hyundai Sonata,' he communicated this information to his accomplices waiting in the 'Porsche.' After fulfilling his part, he took a taxi, picked up another accomplice nearby, and headed to the sand quarry.

Preparatory actions had also taken place at the sand quarry. Two members of the criminal group had previously traveled in a 'Mercedes' to the sand quarry in the village of Mrjavank, opened a barrier to enter, and while in the presence of a guard at the checkpoint, disabled the recording device that stored the footage from the area.

Following all these preparatory actions and receiving last-minute directions from their companion at the airport, the members of the criminal organization pursued the 'Hyundai Sonata' in their 'Porsche' and, around 7:15 am, created an artificial obstacle on Parakar’s Capital Street, stopping the vehicle with the threat of using firearms. Dressed similarly to officers of the National Security Service and masked, they presented themselves as security personnel, forcibly removed the three individuals in the vehicle under the pretext of searching for drugs and other prohibited items, handcuffed them, and then, seizing the bags containing the gold bars and money, forcibly placed the victims inside the 'Hyundai Sonata,' sprayed tear gas inside the car, and fled in the 'Porsche.' They then drove into the quarry, after which some perpetrators left in the 'Mercedes,' while five members of the group departed in a 'GAZ-3102' vehicle.

The operative-investigation team arrived at the sand quarry, where they uncovered the buried 'Porsche' by shifting earth and transported it to the special premises of the Malatya Division of the Police. During this time, new information was received, necessitating collaborative efforts once again. Senior operative Zohrak Davtyan narrates, “As a result of the operational and investigative measures undertaken on the day of the incident, information was received regarding the number and identities of the individuals who committed the crime. Meanwhile, it was reported that some of them were preparing to leave the republic. Collaborating with officers from the Noyemberyan Division and the Bagratashen Division of the Police, two individuals who had committed the crime were located, arrested at a border checkpoint in the late evening, and presented to the investigative department.”

Subsequent measures revealed that after carefully burying the 'Porsche' in the quarry, five members of the group fled in the 'GAZ-3102' vehicle. On the evening of April 12, one member of the criminal organization, a 48-year-old man, was seen transferring a bag of stolen goods from his 'Toyota' to a 'Mercedes Vito' vehicle operating passenger transportation, while he himself took a seat in the vehicle as a passenger. On the way, near the Ararat region, the 'Mercedes Vito' was stopped, and the 48-year-old man was arrested and taken to the Malatya Division of the Police. During a personal search, 58 million Russian rubles and two gold bars were found. Other group members were also discovered and arrested during searches, with additional stolen money recovered.

Based on the sufficient evidence gathered, charges have been brought against members of the criminal organization for participating in a criminal organization and conducting an especially large-scale armed robbery. Criminal proceedings have been initiated against 12 individuals, six of whom have had their measure of restraint enforced as arrest. The investigation is ongoing,” the statement concluded.