Illegal Drug Trade Through 80 Telegram Pages: New Details

The investigation into the illegal trafficking of drugs and the laundering of criminally obtained financial assets by the Special Investigation Division of the RA Investigative Committee has concluded for two suspects. The investigation uncovered that the illegal sale of drugs was being conducted through around 80 pages on the Telegram application.

It was established through evidential actions that residents aged 26 from Jermuk and 27 from Yerevan, in preliminary agreement with others, engaged in the illegal sale of a particularly large amount of drugs between January 2023 and May 2024. They employed various methods, including using an online shop platform registered on the Telegram communication app, to ensure the illegal acquisition of drugs, their separation by weight, packaging, and prior placement in caches. Subsequently, the locations of the drugs were photographed, and their geographical coordinates were marked using a software application and sent to individuals who expressed a desire to purchase drugs and who had transferred corresponding amounts to crypto wallets managed by accomplices. This resulted in the illegal sale of various types of drugs, including methamphetamine and marijuana, in particularly large amounts.

Some of the drugs, including marijuana and methamphetamine, along with electronic scales containing traces of THC, were discovered during searches at the homes of the accused. Additionally, the residents of Jermuk and Yerevan, in preliminary agreement with others, provided individuals interested in acquiring drugs through the online shop on the Telegram app with information about various crypto wallets, including those of the Dashcoin type, for the purpose of transferring the money intended for the ordered drugs to these wallets. Following this, these individuals conducted monetary transfers to the electronic wallets of persons involved in crypto exchanges for the purpose of acquiring drugs, converting them into cryptocurrency, and transferring them to the specified online platform wallets. The transfer receipts were then sent to the mentioned online shops, allowing them to acquire the ordered drugs illegally.

The investigation gathered factual evidence indicating that between December 22, 2023, and January 31, 2024, the Dashcoin wallet received a total of cryptocurrency equivalent to 7,574 USD in the amount of 3,056,942.14 AMD. Subsequently, the cryptocurrency received in the crypto wallets was transferred by individuals exploiting these wallets within Armenia to conceal the criminal origin and actual nature of properties obtained from illegal activities, covering up the movement and distribution of these criminally obtained funds and giving them a legal appearance.

Moreover, it was substantiated that from January 9, 2023, to January 15, 2024, a total of 2,941,487 AMD, equivalent to 7,495 USD, was deposited into a bank card operated by a 26-year-old suspect through cashing out cryptocurrency transactions. In the described manner, from January 2023 to May 2024, a total of 6,574,029 AMD of criminal proceeds was transferred and managed by the identified wallets under the names of these two individuals and others in the IdRam system, as well as by the bank card operated by the Jermuk resident.

Based on sufficient evidence obtained, the aforementioned two young men were charged under Article 393, Part 3, Clause 2, and Article 296, Part 2, Clauses 1 and 2 of the RA Criminal Code. The resident of Jermuk was subjected to arrest as a preventive measure, which was later replaced with house arrest and bail of 2,000,000 AMD, while the resident of Yerevan was subjected to a ban on leaving the country. The preliminary investigation has been completed regarding these individuals, and the case materials have been forwarded to the supervising prosecutor for approval of the indictment and referral to court. The investigation continues regarding other potential individuals involved in the illegal drug trade chain.