Preliminary investigation of the criminal case initiated on extortion, kidnapping apparently committed by the person with the highest status of criminal rank and considered criminal authority is ongoing in the Investigative Division of Qanaqer-Zeytun administrative district of Yerevan Investigative Department of the RA Investigative Committee.

In the result of large-scale investigative and other procedural actions as well as operative-intelligence measures taken jointly with the employees of General Department of Criminal Police of the RA Police on 30 August, 2021 one of those under prosecution in the framework of the mentioned criminal case – the person considered criminal authority was found and brought to the investigative body.

Charge was pressed against the latter according to the Points 1 and 7 of the Part 2 of the Article 38-131, the Point 2 of the Part 3 of the Article 182 and the Point 5 of the Part 2 of the Article 223.2 of RA Criminal Code.

It was earlier informed that the person with the highest status of criminal rank and considered criminal authority, in order to solve the dispute over money issue, for the purpose of receiving illegal income, through the criminal association led by him organized and on 18 January, 2021 implemented the kidnapping of the resident of Yerevan. They forced the latter to get into the car against his will, tied his eyes and took him to a house where one of the members of the mentioned association and others not identified yet beat him. On the same day – at night while returning the man to Yerevan, the person with the highest status of criminal rank demanded money in particularly large amount 10.000 USD tantamount to 5.221.900 AMD threatening in the car to murder him. Some days later he received the mentioned money from the resident of Yerevan with the help of the mentioned association thus swindling the money in particularly large amount by extortion.

Preliminary investigation is ongoing.

Note; Everyone charged with alleged crime offence shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law.