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Two Armenian citizens have been arrested and remanded in pretrial custody on suspicion of involvement in smuggling 69.3 kilograms of marijuana into Armenia from Iran, the National Security Service (NSS) said.
The suspects, identified by their initials N.H. and V.T., were detained in the Meghri community after NSS officers intercepted their vehicle, a Mercedes-Benz ML, as they headed toward Yerevan, according to the agency.
The investigation found that on September 29, the two men allegedly collected a shipment of drugs from a hiding place near Nrnadzor village, close to the Armenian-Iranian border. The hiding place had been indicated by an Iranian citizen whose identity has not yet been established.
According to the NSS, the two Armenians had allegedly conspired with the Iranian citizen to obtain the drugs, which had been smuggled into Armenia from Iran, for subsequent sale. The suspects allegedly acted as a group, coordinating and complementing one another’s actions.
A total of 69.3 kilograms of marijuana was found and seized from their vehicle during procedural actions.
A criminal proceeding has been launched by the Syunik Regional Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee under several provisions of Armenia’s Criminal Code concerning drug trafficking and smuggling. The two suspects have been remanded in custody by court order.