YEREVAN (A.W.)—The National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia uncovered a criminal gang in Yerevan’s Nork Marash district on Nov. 25. According to a statement released by the NSS, the criminal organization was spearheaded by 34-year-old Arthur Vardanyan, an Armenian national living in Spain since 1997, who was planning to carry out a series of serious crimes in the country. The NSS reported that Vardanyan traveled to Armenia earlier this year to set up the organization.
NSS released video showing the weapons cache
The NSS said that the gang had obtained large amounts of weaponry and ammunition, which they kept at a rented house in Yerevan’s Nork Marash district. Authorities raided the house Wednesday, arrested ten individuals including Vardanyan, and seized the weapons cache, which included six AK-47 machine guns, an anti-tank missile, and several grenades and explosives. The NSS also found maps of Yerevan and Gyumri, as well as diagrams and literature, which indicated preparations for an attack within Armenia. On Nov. 26, the NSS announced that nine others had been detained.
Narek Malyan, adviser to Armenia’s Chief of Police, answered questions from the media and the public on his Facebook page, during which he said that the raid was one of more than 20 operations on that day. “Approximately 2 dozen operations were carried out simultaneously,” he said. Malyan also explained that the ammunition confiscated on Nov. 25 was 10 times more than that used in the Paris terror acts of Nov. 14.
Source: Armenian Weekly
Link: Armenia NSS: Criminal Gang Uncovered, 19 Arrested