YEREVAN. – Armenia has exported 954 kg of blood in the first quarter of 2011, says the report issued by Armenia’s State Revenue Committee.

As compared with the last year, blood export has almost doubled. Tax duty for 1 kg of blood makes $176. Price for blood has gone up which contributed to export growth.

The Armenian News - NEWS.am contacted Armenia’s Chief hematologist Smbat Dagbashyan to clarify who and how exports blood from Armenia. Dagbashyan said he has never heard about blood export from Armenia.

“This is the first time I hear such thing. Do we have so much blood to export it?” he wondered.

He also recalled that a special permission of Armenia’s Health Ministry was received when it was necessary to import 4-5 liters of blood to Russian Beslan city for those affected by terrorist attack.

Dagbashyan assumed that apparently one of Armenia’s pharmaceutical companies exports blood.