Armenian National Security Service uncovers trans-national crime syndicate engaged in illegal border crossing

15:36, 26 January, 2018

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. The National Security Service of Armenia has uncovered a trans-national crime syndicate engaged in organizing illegal migration of foreign citizens from Armenia to Iran, and then to Turkey.

In January-June of 2017, the NSS discovered 5 cases of illegal border crossing of the Armenian-Iranian border’s Meghri section by 1 Iraqi, 1 Uzbek and 4 Iranian citizens.

NSS told ARMENPRESS that investigation has revealed that the same people residing in Iran and Turkey were behind those cases.

The foreigners arrived in Armenia under their guidance, who were later transported to the Iranian border. Then, one of the organizers of the plot forcibly removed the barbed wire along the border and accompanied them to Iran for a subsequent relocation to Turkey.

6 people have been indicted in the case, with three currently wanted.

The investigation subsequently continued, and the NSS received intelligence reports on new groups of people comprising citizens of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Yemen – who were expelled from Turkey and want to illegally return after arriving to Armenia.

The NSS prevented the entry of these individuals to the country in December of 2017 and in January of 2018.

The same people were behind these attempts as in the first case.

The Iranian citizen who was engaged in organizing the illegal migration was arrested by Armenian authorities in a special operation.

4 people are detained.

An overall of 45 criminal cases were discovered in 2017 relating to such attempts. Out of the 47 defendants, 25 were foreigners).

In all the cases, the NSS was cooperating with security services of other countries.

As result, an analysis was made by Armenian authorities and proposals were made to relevant agencies to eliminate the shortcomings and to rule out similar cases in the future.

 


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