7 27.11.15 - Press conference of Deputy Head of the Investigation Department of the National Security Service (NSS) Mikayel Hambardzumyan Disarmed gang planned major crimes: Security Service November 27, 2015 - 15:05 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The armed gang, neutralized in Yerevan on November 25, had no equal in the country in terms of weapons, number of people involved and cruelty, Armenia’s National Security Service official told journalists. Without going into detail, deputy chief of the NSS Investigation Department Mikayel Hambardzumyan said a preliminary investigation into the case is underway. “We are now trying to identify the financial sources,” Hambartsumyan said, adding that the armed gang had specific tasks. “Individual citizens, statesmen and political figures were among the gang’s targets; murders were also planned,” Hambartsumyan noted. Law-enforcers have detained 21 people so far. Armenian security forces arrested 10 people and claimed to have found a big weapons cache on Wednesday, November 25 during a dawn raid on a Yerevan house which they said averted a series of “particularly grave crimes.” The Armenian police and NSS described the detainees, among them four women, as members of a “criminal association” led by Artur Vartanian, a 34-year-old Armenian national who is said to have lived in Spain since 1997. Top stories The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Defense Minister Suren Papikyan has visited the southern Armenian province of Syunik, the Defense Ministry reported on March 18. Partner news | Turkey extends military presence in Azerbaijan The Turkish parliament has adopted a bill submitted by Recep Tayyip Erdogan to extend the mandate of Turkish troops. Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills Armenian, Saudi Foreign Minister meet in Riyadh The two commended the positive dynamics of the development of political dialogue between Armenia and Saudi Arabia Pashinyan: Azerbaijan’s proximity shouldn’t worry border residents At the same time, he said that he “does not guarantee [the security of villagers] one hundred percent”. |