Anti-Corruption Committee Raids Eco-Inspection Service; Several Arrests Made

According to Factor TV, at 07:30 today, the Anti-Corruption Committee entered the Eco-Inspection Service and arrested the head of the Sevan sector, Poghos Martirosyan, senior shift officer Artush Hambardzumyan, and commander of the water patrol unit of the police, Davit Galoyan.

“According to our sources, the arrested officials, in preliminary agreement with a group of individuals, directed fishermen to carry out illegal fishing of the Sevan endemic fish species registered in the Red Book,” the article states.

It is noted that the duties of the Eco-Inspection Service include:

• Ensuring the protection of state forests, forest lands, and specially protected natural areas;
• Detecting, preventing, and suppressing violations of the law within the framework of the legally established jurisdiction;
• Ensuring compliance with the rules for the protection of state forests, forest lands, and specially protected natural areas;
• Conducting fire safety oversight in forests and specially protected natural areas;
• Preventing or mitigating the negative human impact on the ecosystems of specially protected natural areas and their components in the Republic of Armenia.