Local newspaper claims armed group that was detained in Yerevan this November was funded through Armenian Catholic Church

A Yerevan-based Hraparak newspaper has published certain details about the armed group detained in Yerevan this November.

Referring to its sources the newspaper claims that the armed group received funds through the Armenian Catholic Church. "Weapons for about $100,000 were bought. In Armenia it is impossible to buy so much weapons and remain unnoticed by the security services. This is what helped the security services detain the group after following it for about 2 months. The group planned to attack the government on December 3.  As for the weapons, the group bought it locally, not from abroad. These were weapons and ammunition that remained from the Karabakh war," the newspaper reports.

To note, as a result of investigative measures taken by the National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia, an organized criminal group intending to commit grave crimes in the territory of Armenia has been disclosed, the NSS press office reports. The source says that a citizen of Armenia Arthur Vardanyan, native of Yerevan, living in a foreign state, set up and managed a criminal group as soon as he arrived in Yerevan in 2015.  According to preliminary agreement, the group illegally acquired weapons and ammunition. On November 25, the joint measures taken with the Armenian Police found arms and ammunition, explosives, communication facilities and other things. As many as 10 people were arrested, with 11 more arrested later.

During a private hearing on November 27, the regular court of Kentron and Nork Marash administrative districts of Yerevan sustained the motion of the National Security Service of Armenia (NSS) to use arrest as a measure of restraint against the gang members detained in Yerevan. It was previously reported that as a result of investigative measures taken by the National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia, an organized criminal group intending to commit grave crimes in the territory of Armenia was disclosed in Yerevan on November 25. The NSS Investigative Department has instituted a criminal case based on Article 223 Parts 1 and 2 (creation of a criminal group or participation in a criminal community - imprisonment for 6-10 years), and Article 235 Part 3 (illegal acquisition, sale, keeping, transportation or bearing of weapons, ammunition, explosive compounds or explosive devices - imprisonment for 3-8 years) of the Armenian Criminal Code.