Economic and drug-related crimes up in Armenia

Economic and drug-related crimes up in Armenia

Mediamax news agency
28 Oct 04

Yerevan, 28 October: The number of registered crimes in Armenia dropped
by 4.4 per cent in nine months of 2004 compared to the same period
last year, and the number of solved crimes increased, the head of the
public relations and information department of the Armenian Police,
Lt-Col Sayat Shirinyan, said in Yerevan today.

He said that 8,098 crimes were registered in January-September 2004,
while last year the figure was 8,467. Thus, Shirinyan said that 25.5
crimes were committed per 10,000 people in Armenia, while in Moldova
this figure was 210.4, in Russia 148.7, and in Ukraine 82.9.

Especially grave crimes account for 1.6 per cent and grave crimes
for 33.6 per cent of the total number of registered crimes. A total
of 82.3 per cent of especially grave crimes and 78 per cent of grave
crimes were solved.

In nine months of 2004, 77 crimes involving the use of firearms were
registered, which is four times less than in 2003.

In the course of the fight against drug trafficking, 339 drug-related
crimes were registered in January-September 2004, which is 102 cases
more than in the same period of last year. A total of 12,782 kg of
drugs were seized.

The number of economic crimes increased almost twice.

The number of persons brought to criminal liability was 4,905,
i.e. 5.3 per cent more than in 2003; 916 criminals were convicted
for the second time.

About 1,230 persons are on the wanted list, which is 3.5 per cent
more than last year.