Decision in High-Profile Case of 36 kg Gold and $3 Million Theft

The newspaper "Joghovurd" reports that the investigation into the disappearance of 36 kg of gold and 293 million Russian rubles (approximately $3,163,496) has concluded regarding 7 accused individuals, and the sensational case has been sent to court. Notably, almost 6 months have passed since the scandalous incident, yet the main actors remain absent, while one important group member in custody is not cooperating, and a significant portion of the stolen goods still has not been recovered.

While law enforcement has been searching for them for 6 months and now refers the case to court, the alleged criminals continue to enjoy their gains. “Joghovurd” has reported that a judge has come under the scrutiny of law enforcement: specifically, in connection with the criminal case, the Investigative Committee of Armenia has interrogated Arshak Petrosyan, a judge of the General Jurisdiction Court of Yerevan, in the capacity of a witness.

It is recalled that the Investigative Committee of Armenia officially announced that on April 10, a car chase involving a "Porsche" brand vehicle pursued a "Hyundai Sonata" vehicle. From 07:15 to 07:20, they created an artificial obstacle in front of the specified vehicle on the Main Street of the Parakar community in the Armavir region, forcing the vehicle to stop with a threat of weapon use. After stopping the vehicle, the individuals allegedly committing the crime, dressed similarly to National Security Service personnel and masked, exited their vehicle, presenting themselves as officers of the NSS and using violence to remove 3 individuals from the car.

Subsequently, under the pretext of searching for drugs and other prohibited items and arresting them, they placed handcuffs on the aforementioned three individuals' hands, then stole unusually large items - 36 kg of 999 purity gold bars and bags containing 293 million Russian rubles (approximately $3,163,496) - using violence against these individuals. They then used tear gas inside the vehicle and fled in the "Porsche" model car.

Based on adequate evidence obtained, A.S. has been charged under Article 319, Part 2, Point 3, Article 252, Part 3, Points 1 and 4, and Article 456, Part 2, Point 1 of the Criminal Code of Armenia. Criminal proceedings have been initiated against a total of 12 individuals, with pre-trial detention applied to 5, and other measures imposed on 3. A decision has been made to arrest 4 individuals, and the police have been instructed to locate them and present them before the investigating body. Additionally, it was noted that the son-in-law of a "thief in law" has also come to the attention of law enforcement within this criminal proceeding.