Illegal Drug Trafficking Incidents in Armenia Rise 14.1% in First Quarter of 2024

In the Republic of Armenia, illegal drug trafficking increased by 14.1% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. This was stated by Hovhannes Hambaryan, head of the Investigation Department of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia, during a press conference.

According to him, there were 1,130 recorded incidents from January to March 2024, while 981 incidents were registered during the same period in 2023.

Based on Hambaryan's data, a total of 5,070 incidents of illegal drug trafficking were recorded in 2023, which represents a 123.7% increase from the figures noted in 2022. "In 2022, there were 2,266 incidents of illegal drug trafficking in Armenia, and in 2023, the increase accounted for 123.7%, culminating in 5,070 incidents. Of these cases, 2,802 pertained to the illegal sale of drugs (in 2022 there were 1,031 incidents), showing a noticeable rise. A significant number of these cases involved illegal drug trafficking conducted via the internet," said the official from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia.

It is noteworthy that today is International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking worldwide.