Due to large-scale investigative and other procedural activities carried out in the criminal case initiated in the Investigation Department of the National Security Service of RA, as well as comprehensive and effective operative-search measures undertaken along with those activities jointly with the Penitentiary Service of the RA Ministry of Justice, it was possible to detect criminal schemes of creating and managing groups bearing criminal subculture by persons with the highest status of criminal hierarchy, participation in a group or involvement in it, applying to the member of the above-mentioned group or the person with the highest status of criminal hierarchy. On 25 August 2020, based on reasonable suspicion of creating and managing a group bearing criminal subculture by a person with the highest status of criminal hierarchy, G.M., aka Oshakanci Gevorik, who received the status of “thief-in-law”, was brought to the Investigation Department of the RA NSS, and was detained on the same day on the basis of the grounds established by the criminal procedure law.

Sufficient factual data were obtained on the criminal case that G.M., aka Oshakanci Gevorik, who received the status of “thief-in-law”, according to rules of conduct established and recognized by the group bearing criminal subculture, having received and retained the highest status of criminal hierarchy and being a member of an association of persons endowed with this status and having interpersonal hierarchical relations, after 22 February, 2020 continued to maintain the highest status of criminal hierarchy and took upon himself the resolution of the dispute related to the private issue of returning the remaining amount of the debt in favor of the person who applied to him by using his illegal influence and threats.

In particular, G.M., having the highest status of criminal hierarchy, used his illegal influence to resolve a dispute (problem) in favor of A.P. who applied to him related to the private issue - S. S.’s failure to pay the amount of debt owed for the gold pledged earlier and received from the sale of fish). Since 17 May, 2020 he called S.S. and, by means of threats, instructed him to come to an agreement on the proposal of the creditor A.P., who, taking advantage of the patronage of G.M., demanded from S.S. 4800 USD, 1.550.000 AMD and certificates of ownership of the land areas of the coastal plots of fish-breeding lakes belonging to him, located in Armavir province.

Within the framework of the same criminal case, 4 persons were also brought in.

Three of the persons brought in by the preliminary investigation body were detained in the manner prescribed by the RA Criminal Procedure Code and a written undertaking not to leave the place was applied as a measure of restraint against one person.

Furthermore, on the same day in another criminal case investigated in the Investigation Department of the RA National Security Service, as a result of operative-search measures undertaken jointly with the Penitentiary of the RA Ministry of Justice, sufficient factual data were obtained that so-called "overseer of the zone" A. T., while continuing to maintain the highest status of criminal hierarchy with the status of “criminal hierarchy”, as of 22 February, 2020, continuing to maintain the highest status of criminal hierarchy, since 22 February, 2020, has been managing a group bearing criminal subculture. In particular, he exercised control over the persons detained in "Armavir" penitentiary institution of the RA Ministry of Justice, in order to maintain "order" in their ranks, he gave specific instructions to various persons- members of a group bearing criminal subculture, involved in the implementation of its goals, and he gave instructions to resolve disputes (problems) related to private issues; he also organized and monitored the collection and disposal of so-called "obshak" funds.

At the same time, factual data were obtained that A.T., being detained in the 30th cell of the 3rd precinct of "Armavir" penitentiary of the RA Ministry of Justice, exercised control over the detainees and convicts kept in the penitentiary institution. In particular, at the request of various persons who applied to him, regulated and redistributed the places of detention-the precincts and cells-  of persons who were recently transferred to penitentiary institutions, he monitored the involvement of prisoners and convicts in gambling, keeping privileged persons from doing so, and discussed with the "privileged" detainees from other sections of the penitentiary institution, the issue of punishing another so-called “overseer of the zone” who has weakened control in this precinct and lost his authority among the detainees.

In the mentioned criminal cases 6 searches in total have been carried out in the apartments of the above mentioned persons in order to detect criminally obtained items and valuables, as a result of which various types of drugs, mobile phones, certificates of registration of ownership of land plots, which are the subject of the dispute, as well as other items important for the criminal case have been detected and seized.

Active measures are being taken in the direction of detecting other criminal manifestations by the participants involved in the criminal scheme, preventing and disrupting possible criminal manifestations.

The National Security Service urges the public to refrain from modus operandi of appealing to a member of the group bearing criminal subculture or persons with the highest status of criminal hierarchy for obtaining material or non-material benefit or other advantage or for exercising real or perceived rights, and to show exclusively law-abiding behavior, and also reminds that these actions are subject to criminal liability.

Note: The suspect or accused of an alleged crime is considered innocent as long as his guilt is not proven in a manner prescribed by the Code of Criminal Procedure of RA - by the court decision entered into legal force.