Preliminary investigation of another criminal proceeding on illegal turnover of narcotic drugs in particularly large amount, money laundering was completed on one person in General Department of Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the RA Investigative Committee.

Through large-scale procedural and evidentiary actions data were obtained on the allegation that between 2021 and 2023 22 year-old resident of Yerevan, with prior agreement with others not identified yet, with the intent to realize illegally procured drugs in particularly large amount from various users registered on «Telegram» application, ensured their separation according to weight, packing and pre-placing in hiding places. Then the locations of the narcotic drugs were photographed, the coordinates of their locations were marked using a software application and through online store-platforms managed by the accomplices were handed over to those who had expressed a desire to procure narcotic drugs and had transferred appropriate amount of money to the crypto currency wallets factually managed by the accomplices, in this way carrying out the realization of narcotic drugs in particularly large amount.

Through investigation it was grounded that the mentioned person had started dealing in illegal turnover of narcotic drugs with the intent to realize them since 2021 and for this purpose from mid-2022 had started managing a store-platform registered on «Telegram» application, at the beginning of 2023 he bought one more similar store-platform.

Through the mentioned online store-platforms the young man bought drug of «Marijuana» type from other store-platforms registered on «Telegram» after which he separated them into various weights and with the intent to realize placed them in the hiding places created by him, photographed them mentioning the precise coordinates and exact location tips on the photos.

After receiving order from the buyers the young man demanded that the amount paid for the drug should be transferred to the crypto currency wallets identified by a fictitious user account created in June, 2021 on «Coinbase» platform, and when he made sure that the money had been transferred, sent the photos of the hiding places of the drugs to the buyers.

A part of the «Marijuana» type procured in this way was found and taken in the result of the search conducted in the young man’s residence and car.

Through investigation it was also found out that between June, 2021 and April, 2023 crypto currencies of 1.6133 «Bitcoin» (48.486 USD) and 269.7351 «Dashcoin» (14.180 USD) tantamount to 27.824.957 AMD in total, were entered from various crypto currency accounts to the wallets identified by a fictitious user account created on «Coinbase» platform through the phone number used by the young man.

Then in order to hide the criminal origin of the property in particularly large amount, to conceal the movement and allocation of funds obtained in a criminal way, to make them look legal, the crypto currency received on the crypto currency wallets was transferred to the wallets used by people engaged in exchange of crypto currency at the RA territory, after which the converted financial means, by the accomplices’ instruction, were transferred to various electronic wallets, bank accounts, were cashed or managed in another way by those involved in the criminal activity.

Using this money laundering scheme, the young man and persons, not yet identified by the investigation, received and managed money in particularly large amount, a total of 27,824,957 AMD obtained in a criminal way and transferred to various electronic wallets and bank accounts.

On the base of the obtained sufficient facts charge was pressed against 22 year-old young man according to the Point 2 of the Part 3 of the Article 393 and the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 296 of RA Criminal Code. Home detention was selected as a pretrial measure against him.

Preliminary investigation on the latter’s part was completed and the materials of the proceeding with the bill of indictment were sent to the prosecutor for approval and referral to court.

Preliminary investigation on the part of the other members of the criminal group, as well as to find out the source of procurement of narcotic drugs is ongoing.

The RA Investigative Committee had earlier informed about cases of illegal turnover of narcotic drugs in particularly large amount, committed by 6 more persons in the mentioned scheme, with prior agreement and three more counts of money laundering in total amount of about 386․000․000 AMD which were separated from the criminal proceeding and sent to court.

The organized fight against illegal turnover of narcotic drugs through social networks and the conversion of incomes into crypto and other currencies, circulation through different accounts and management (money laundering) is ongoing closely cooperating with other law enforcement bodies.