A criminal group engaged in illegal turnover of narcotic drugs between 2019 and 2021, the mechanism of legalization of the funds obtained in a criminal way was revealed, four persons involved in the group were identified and charge was pressed against 3 of them.

Particularly, in the result of large-scale investigative and procedural actions conducted within the criminal proceeding investigated in the Department of Investigation of Crimes on Human Trafficking, against Sexual Immunity of Juveniles and Illegal Turnover of Drugs of General Department of Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the RA Investigative Committee it was grounded that V.M., 24 year-old resident of Arinj village of Kotayk region, in order to illegally sell narcotic drugs, between 2019 and 2021 with prior agreement with a group of people, among them KH.F, was engaged in illegal turnover of narcotic drugs in particularly large amount through «Ismoke», «Ismoke420» and «Marc Emery Market» online store-platforms created and managed in the «Telegram» communication application by the latter, they also involved other accomplices and distributed roles.

Two of those involved in the criminal chain were identified; one of them is H.H., 25 year-old resident of Yerevan, the other is G.A., 27 year-old resident of Yerevan.

Being involved in the criminal group from August, 2021, the latters with prior agreement with KH.F. and others, through telegram pages created and managed by them, had been engaged in illegal turnover of narcotic drugs in particularly large amount for a long time carrying out their transportation, separation according to weight, packaging and installation in the territory of the RA, taking photos of drug locations and specifying the coordinates of their locations using a software application for which they received money as their share from the amount received as a result of the sale of narcotic drugs.

V.M. periodically managed the above-mentioned telegram store-platforms having correspondence on the value and procurement conditions of narcotic drugs with those wishing to procure drugs and after reaching agreement with them, it was required to transfer the money for the relevant dose of the drug to electronic wallets of «Qiwi», «Юmoney» systems managed by Kh.F. and accomplices, as well as RA and other foreign electronic wallets.

After the photos of the receipts, confirming the fact of depositing money to the accounts managed by the accomplices, had been sent by the buyers, V.M. and Kh.F. sent them the photos of various types of drug locations, pre-installed in hiding places. In the mentioned way various types of narcotic drugs in particularly large amount were illegally sold to numerous people over 15 of which were identified in the course of preliminary investigation.

Pursuant to data obtained through investigation, in order to hide the criminal origin of the money in particularly large amount - 60.744.470 AMD received as a result of the drug sale, to hide its real nature, to make the received money look legitimate, it was transferred to various electronic wallets registered in the name of several people but managed by V.M. and his accomplice Kh.F. registered both abroad and in the RA, to "Idram" system accounts registered in their names or KH.F.’s mother’s name, to many crypto currency wallets. After which it was transferred to the electronic wallets of V.M. and his accomplice KH.F.’s mother (in the case of crypto-currency, after conversion to the equivalent cash before that) and were cashed or otherwise disposed in various ways.

On the base of the obtained facts charge was pressed against V.M for illegal turnover of narcotic drugs in particularly large amount for the purpose of sale, money laundering in particularly large amount.

Charge was pressed against H.H. and G.A. for illegal turnover of narcotic drugs in particularly large amount and mortgage in the amount of 2.000.000 AMD and 1.000.000 AMD was chosen as a pretrial measure against them.

Preliminary investigation on the part of the mentioned three persons was completed. The materials of the proceeding were separated and with the bill of indictment sent to the prosecutor for approval and referral to court.

Preliminary investigation on Kh.F. and the other members of the group is ongoing.

Measures are taken to find out the source of procurement of narcotic drugs, others involved in the criminal chain, as well as the frame of those having procured narcotic drugs.