The National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia, as a result of operative-intelligence measures conducted within the framework of its monitoring functions in customs legal relationship, revealed a mechanism organized and long-term used for the import of goods without due declaration by economic entities.
According to the preliminary data, a number of RA citizens transported large consignments (fruit-vegetable, apparel, household stuff, motor oils, etc.) purchased for commercial purposes from Georgia, Turkey, as well as from other countries, to Armenian-Georgian border, stored in different houses of Sadakhlo village or in the neutral zone of the border, and subsequently declaring in installments as permissible accompanying luggage of private individuals, have imported goods to Armenia for many times via “Bagratashen” checkpoint without paying the taxes and fees under customs clearance.
It is notable that the goods were not subjected to proper procedure and full-volume quarantine expertise by the laboratory of the State Service for Food Safety of the Ministry of Agriculture of RA located within the customs territory.
As a result of long-term and extensive operative-intelligence measures for the prevention of the aforesaid process, on January 15, 2019, another case of import of goods using the said method was prevented. Аs a result of it more than 1 ton of fruits and vegetables was discovered which the resident of city Alaverdi moved in the cars of different persons during one day.
According to preliminary data, the said economic entity managed to carry out the illegal transport of goods by giving a bribe to the Chief Customs Inspector of “Bagratashen” checkpoint of Eastern Customs House Department of the RA SRC.
On the basis of the materials prepared on the case, a criminal case has been initiated at the Investigation Department of the NSS of RA. An accusation was presented to the customs service officer and to the person who organized the goods transportation. Both of them are detained.
Measures are being taken to find out the full extent of the previously transported goods, as well as to identify other persons probably involved in the criminal mechanism.
The NSS urges the RA citizens to refrain from being involved in similar criminal schemes of criminal liability in customs legal relationship, as far as the goods of unknown origin that without customs due control were imported to the Armenian market, including Azerbaijani and Turkish goods, are direct threat to the national security and meanwhile warns that the activities to detect the violations in customs legal relationship will be ongoing.

Note. A person that is suspected or accused of an alleged crime is considered innocent unless his/her guilt is not proved by court judgment that has come into legal effect pursuant to the procedure determined by RA Criminal Procedure Code.