Explosive Attack on VTB Armenia Bank ATM in Yerevan

A criminal case has been initiated by the Investigation Committee of Armenia regarding the theft of approximately 18 million AMD from an ATM in Yerevan belonging to VTB Armenia Bank.

According to the Investigation Committee, preliminary data indicates that on July 28, 2019, between 04:00 and 05:00, the door of one of the ATMs was forcibly opened using technical means, specifically through an explosive method, allowing the culprits to covertly steal a significant amount of cash.

The estimated damage caused is 17,974,000 AMD. Considering the legal basis and the circumstances present in the case files, a criminal case was opened under Article 177, Part 3, Clause 1 of the Criminal Code of Armenia.

During the pre-investigation, several investigative actions were carried out. Damaged parts of the ATM, the amount of money available in the ATM, as well as the ATM's video recording device were collected during the examination of the crime scene. For the purpose of clarifying significant circumstances of the criminal case, forensic explosive, forensic object, and forensic trace examinations have been appointed.

An investigative plan has been developed, and extensive investigative measures are underway to uncover the circumstances of the incident. The investigation is ongoing, and instructions have been given to the relevant units of the police to take necessary operational-search and operational-intelligence measures aimed at identifying the person(s) allegedly involved in the crime and presenting them to the prosecuting authority.