Illegal Drug Trafficking and Major Money Laundering Case Disclosed via Telegram

The Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia has completed the preliminary investigation into another case of illegal drug trafficking and money laundering in particularly large amounts involving one individual.

According to a statement released by the Investigative Committee, extensive procedural and evidential actions revealed that a 22-year-old resident of Yerevan, between 2021 and 2023, in preliminary agreement with other unidentified individuals, engaged in illegal drug trafficking for profit. He acquired various types of drugs illegally from different users registered on the Telegram communication application, ensured their separation by weight, packaging, and prior placement in hideouts.

Subsequently, the drug locations were photographed, their coordinates marked via a software application, and shared with individuals who expressed a desire to purchase drugs through online store platforms managed by accomplices. In this manner, the drug trafficking of particularly large quantities was carried out.

It has been established that the aforementioned individual began engaging in illegal drug trafficking in 2021 and managed a store platform registered on the Telegram application since mid-2022, additionally purchasing another similar store platform at the beginning of 2023.

Through these online store platforms, the young man purchased marijuana from other registered Telegram platforms, subsequently divided it by various weights, and stored it in hideouts he created, photographing them with specific coordinates noted on the images.

After receiving orders from buyers, he demanded that payments for the drugs be transferred to his crypto wallet identified through an imaginary name account created on the Coinbase platform back in June 2021. Once he verified the payment, he provided buyers with images of the hideouts housing the drugs online.

A portion of the marijuana obtained this way was seized during searches conducted at the young man’s residence and vehicle.

The investigation also revealed that from June 2021 to April 2023, a total of 27,824,957 AMD equivalent to 1.6133 Bitcoins (48,486 USD) and 269.7351 Dash (14,180 USD) were credited to the crypto wallets identified by imaginary name accounts on the Coinbase platform through various crypto accounts.

To conceal the criminal origin of the assets obtained through criminal activities, hide their true nature, and launder the proceeds, the cryptocurrencies received in the identified wallets were transferred to wallets operated by individuals engaged in cryptocurrency exchange within the Republic of Armenia, after which the converted financial resources were transferred to various electronic wallets, bank accounts, withdrawn as cash, or otherwise managed by individuals involved in the criminal activities.

Using this money laundering scheme, the young man and still unidentified individuals managed to acquire and control a total of 27,824,957 AMD obtained through illegal means, which was transferred to various electronic wallets and bank accounts.

Based on sufficient evidence, the 22-year-old has been charged under Article 393 Part 3 Point 2 and Article 296 Part 3 Point 3 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia. A restrictive measure of house arrest has been selected for him.

The preliminary investigation regarding him has been completed, and the materials of the case have been sent to the supervising prosecutor for confirmation of the indictment and submission to the court.

The investigation continues regarding other members of the criminal group and determining the source of drug acquisition.

Earlier, the Investigative Committee had reported sending to the court criminal cases against six other individuals, separated from the major criminal case, for illegal drug trafficking in particularly large amounts, along with money laundering totaling about 386,000,000 AMD.

The systematic fight against illegal drug trafficking and the conversion of revenues obtained from it into crypto and other currencies, with the cooperation of other law enforcement agencies, continues.