Investigation into Thefts Completed, Charges Filed Against 9 Individuals

The investigation by the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia's Yerevan Investigative Division in the Shengavit administrative district has concluded regarding the criminal case of large-scale thefts conducted by an organized group. Charges have been filed against 9 individuals.

Following extensive investigative actions, it has been established that the members of the organized group coordinated in advance to steal and sell copper wire from transformers belonging to the South Caucasus Railways and Yerevan Thermal Power Plant. They planned the execution mechanism of the crime and assigned roles among themselves.

The preliminary investigation has gathered factual data indicating that the organized group, whose nine members recognized each other and maintained stable contact, committed the thefts from January to April 2019.

According to the investigation, the group members, with the intention of secretly misappropriating someone else's property of significant value, entered the area of the "Araks" towing electric substation in the administration of Myasniktan village in Ararat province in January 2019. They severed copper wires from non-functioning transformers, filled them into bags, and transported them to Yerevan where they sold them at metal reception points. The profit was then divided among the group members, causing significant property damage totaling 2,850,000 AMD to the South Caucasus Railways closed joint-stock company.

Furthermore, between February 2019 and April 4, 2019, by monitoring the area belonging to the Yerevan Thermal Power Plant through installed cameras, group members gathered information about weather conditions and entered the site around 13 times at advantageous and secure moments, with 8 members entering the premises while one monitored the area from a vehicle.

By welding open the transformer, the group members supplemented each other's actions and, using pre-selected technical means, cut the copper wires inside. They filled the bags, transported them out of the area, and transferred the stolen goods to Yerevan where they sold them at various colored metal reception points. According to the evidence obtained during the investigation, they systematically disassembled and removed approximately one ton of copper wire each time, causing particularly large property damage amounting to 21,490,349.41 AMD to the Yerevan Thermal Power Plant.

Based on the compilation of data obtained during the pre-trial proceedings, charges have been filed against all 9 group members under Articles 177, Clause 3, Points 1 and 2 of the RA Criminal Code.

Notification of the completion of the investigation has been declared, and the criminal case with an accusatory conclusion has been sent to the court. A decision has been made to impose a seizure on the property owned by them.