Police Neutralize Criminal Group: Details

The latest breakthrough by the Cybercrime Division of the Criminal Police was made on July 23. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the police neutralized a criminal group by conducting an unexpected search in collaboration with partners from the Investigative Committee. Significant evidence crucial for the preliminary investigation was discovered and seized.

As a result of large-scale operational and investigative measures taken by the Cybercrime Division, the identities and roles of the members of the alleged criminal organization were uncovered. The police received operational information that a group of individuals was abusing the trust of foreign operators responsible for transporting luggage at a commercial facility in one of the hotels in Yerevan using specialized computer equipment and software to commit large-scale thefts.

The organization’s members, posing as employees of companies involved in freight transportation in the USA, gained the trust of the operators and transported the luggage to other locations. Subsequently, the stolen luggage was sold, and the financial proceeds were transferred to the accounts of the members of the criminal organization and converted into various crypto-assets.

Based on a report on the apparent crime submitted to the Investigative Committee, a criminal case was initiated. The Cybercrime Division of the Criminal Police, in cooperation with law enforcement agencies in the USA, is conducting several measures to gather additional factual data regarding the criminal mechanism and to identify other groups engaged in similar criminal activities within the territory of Armenia.

Emergency measures are ongoing by the Cybercrime Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to identify individuals or businesses affected by the criminal activities.