Within one of the criminal proceedings investigated in General Department for Investigation of Economic Crimes and Smuggling of the RA Investigative Committee, factual data were obtained on the allegation that between 2022 and 2024, several individuals, acting under the organization of G.Ts., allegedly committed fraud in particularly large amount and money laundering in particularly large amount.

Particularly, according to the information available in the criminal proceeding, the members of the criminal group organized and led by G.Ts., reached necessary agreements with individuals, who are citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the purpose of developing trade relations between Iran and Armenia. Within the framework of these agreements, they also established jointly owned legal entities. Then under the guise of establishing an Iran–Armenia logistics and freight transportation network, and acting with direct intent to commit fraud by misappropriating property in particularly large amount belonging to others through deception and abuse of trust, they acquired from companies operating in the Islamic Republic of Iran and managed by a number of entrepreneurs residing there, and imported into the Republic of Armenia, 52 vehicles, machinery and equipment items, fuel, and various types of goods. Thereafter, while concealing the imports through the creation of a false appearance of legitimate commercial activity, they falsified import customs declarations and other official documents and, pursuant to their premeditated criminal intent, misappropriated property with a total value of 21 million 72 thousand 827 USD, equivalent to approximately 8 billion 126 million 946 thousand 460 AMD.  

Thereafter, the members of the criminal group, with the aim of legalizing the property obtained as a result of the aforementioned criminal activity and concealing its illicit origin, disguised the criminal origin of the fraudulently misappropriated vehicles and other goods by falsifying import documents into the Republic of Armenia following the misappropriation of the goods, as well as by alienating part of them on the basis of forged documents, converted the proceeds of sale and commingled them with their other income, thereby concealing the true nature of the illicit origin of the property and monetary funds obtained through criminal means and giving them a lawful appearance.

In addition, G.Ts., acting as the beneficial owner of a limited liability company registered in the Republic of Armenia, and reaching a prior criminal agreement with R.K., who was engaged in the import and sale of fuel, organized and directed the latter’s fraudulent misappropriation in particularly large amount of 934 thousand 465 USD from Y.I., an IRI citizen, in the course of a fuel import transaction. He commingled the resulting proceeds with the lawful turnover of the LLC under his control, thereby concealing and disguising the true nature of the illicit origin of the property and monetary funds and giving them a lawful appearance.

Based on the facts proving the commission of crimes, motions were submitted by the investigator of General Department for Investigation of Economic Crimes and Smuggling of the RA Investigative Committee to the prosecutor to initiate public criminal prosecution against G.Ts. according to the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 46-255 (2 counts), the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 46-296 (2 counts) of RA Criminal Code, against one of the members of the criminal group – according to the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 255 (2 counts), and the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 296 (2 counts) of RA Criminal Code, and against the other member of the criminal group - according to the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 255, and the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 296 of RA Criminal Code, which were sufficed.

Within the framework of over a dozen criminal proceedings investigated in the general department on fraudulence in particularly large amount, money laundering in particularly large amount and tax evasion in particularly large amount simultaneous searches have been conducted at over 70 addresses by the officers of the RA National Security Service, the RA State Revenue Committee, the Police of the RA Ministry of Internal Affairs, as a result of which documents, items, among them misappropriated vehicles, which are of significance for the criminal proceeding, have been found.

G.Ts. and another member of the criminal group were arrested for the purpose of being brought before the court, while an arrest warrant was issued for another member of the criminal group.