Hayk Sarksyan Proposes New Measures Against Illegal Drug Trafficking

«Hraparak» reports that the alarming statistics regarding the illegal drug trafficking in Armenia have started to concern the authorities as well. Hayk Sarksyan, a member of the 'My Step' faction, suggests toughening the penalties for illegal drug trafficking by classifying it among serious crimes. He has presented a draft law that proposes to increase the penalty for drug dealers from the current 3-6 years to 6-8 years in prison. Furthermore, for cases where the sale of drugs utilizes information or communication technologies—such as current practices involving Telegram channels—the penalty could rise to 8-12 years. In instances where minors are involved in the process, life imprisonment could be imposed.

According to the project’s rationale, the analysis of recorded cases in the Republic of Armenia reveals a drastic increase in illegal drug trafficking facilitated by information or communication technologies. In 2024 alone, there have been 252 reported cases of illegal drug trade via the internet, with 62 being instances of drug sales and 190 of purchases. Therefore, the regulations proposed in the draft regard drug trafficking through information or communication technologies as an aggravating circumstance.