ArmInfo. A large integrated transnational criminal group that was involved in investment fraud has been revealed in Armenia.
According to the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, at the beginning of 2023, the department for combating cybercrime of the Main Directorate of Criminal Police received operational information about transnational criminal activities.
According to the information, companies disguised as employment and software activities in the State Register of Armenia, managed by foreign citizens, established a "call center" equipped with computer equipment in office premises operating at different addresses in Yerevan. Almost the entire arsenal of the cybercrime department was used to uncover the criminal mechanism. International cooperation with law enforcement agencies of European states was also of decisive importance, since, according to information, not only citizens of the Republic of Armenia, but also of other states were involved in the criminal scheme, who, knowing foreign languages, made Internet and telephone calls to people in foreign languages, offering a profitable investment for them. Moreover, members of the criminal group prepared and launched fake websites, which they actively advertised on various social networks, noting the supposedly high return on investment and the simplicity of the process. As a result, by misleading various foreign citizens and abusing their trust, members of the criminal group stole large sums of money.
As a result of large-scale operational investigative measures, information was obtained about the persons participating in the criminal mechanism, their pseudonyms, the nature of the case, as well as the mechanism for distributing roles in criminal organizations. According to available data, criminal organizations operating in Armenia were led by a number of individuals, including foreigners and citizens of Armenia. Based on the information received, a criminal case was opened in the main department for the investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Committee.
"As a result of operational-search activities and other procedural actions carried out within the framework of the initiated criminal case, it was established that since March 2022, a number of residents of the Republic of Armenia and abroad have established a criminal transnational group for the purpose of laundering large sums through the use of fake businesses," said Narek Abgaryan, investigator of the Main Directorate for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Criminal Investigation Department. According to him, on December 8 last year, searches were carried out at various addresses in Yerevan, and already on January 16 of this year, one of the leaders of the criminal group was found and arrested in Yerevan. A study of evidentiary information obtained as a result of searches showed that this criminal group stole a large amount of money in cryptocurrency from foreign citizens every month during the two years of its activity, which they subsequently tried to legalize through money laundering.
"At the same time, on the instructions of the head of a criminal organization, in order to cover up illegal entrepreneurship by members of the criminal organization, as well as persons who are not its members, companies were established that were considered legal entities of the Republic of Armenia, in which employees were formally involved. Based on the results of the activities carried out, it was revealed that material damage to the state amounting to more than 130 million drams," Narek Abgaryan said. Despite the numerous difficulties caused by its transnational nature, the work to solve the crime continues successfully and there are already concrete results. "Based on the basic facts, the prosecutor was presented with a request to initiate public criminal prosecution against 20 people, which he did not reject," the investigator added.
The police are now actively cooperating with law enforcement agencies in the field of cybercrime in European countries in order to search for persons affected by criminal activities. Efforts to complete the investigation of the case are also ongoing in Armenia. "We urge those who joined or supported this transnational criminal organization to voluntarily contact the Investigative Committee or the police. When receiving similar proposals, citizens of Armenia should immediately contact law enforcement agencies," the Ministry of Internal Affairs said in a statement.
P.S. Our citizens can also receive such highly profitable investment offers from abroad, via the Internet. We urge you to ignore such tempting offers, regardless of the country from which they are spread. And as cooperation between law enforcement agencies in various countries is developing in the fight against transnational investment fraud, please contact law enforcement authorities if you receive a suspicious offer.
