YEREVAN. – The National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia had received information that a large number of drugs and weapons were hidden at an apartment in capital city Yerevan, the NSS informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.
As per the respective NSS statement, it was found out that the said apartment belonged to Narek Sargsyan, 31—the nephew of third President Serzh Sargsyan.
On June 25, the NSS officers detained Serob Sahakyan and Vladimir Shahinyants while leaving a building in Yerevan, and with suitcases.
It was found out that Sahakyan was a close friend of Sargsyan. On June 22, Narek Sargsyan had left for Moscow with his bodyguard, Artem Petrosyan, to travel to a European country from there. Before leaving Armenia, however, Sargsyan had given—through his bodyguard—to Serob Sahakyan the keys to the aforesaid apartment. And on June 25, he had asked Sahakyan—again through the same bodyguard—to take the two suitcases in the apartment to somewhere else.
Drugs, 4 pistols, bullets, pills, pipes, drops, and several other items were found and confiscated in these suitcases.
In addition, the NSS received a report that, back in 2013, Narek Sargsyan, abusing the trust of an heir of renowned Armenian painter Martiros Saryan, had taken fourteen drawings of Saryan from this heir, promising to pay $28,000 for them, and to jointly establish a casino with the rest of the money, and to sponsor its activities. After getting these paintings, however, Sargsyan did not fulfill his promise, and he refused to return these drawings.
Within the framework of the respective criminal case, a search was conducted Wednesday at the place where Narek Sargsyan is registered, in capital city Yerevan. The abovementioned paintings, as well as $115,000, €27,000, expensive watches, numerous gold coins, and jewelry were discovered at this place.
During the search, Narek Sargsyan’s father, Aleksandr Sargsyan—the brother of third President Serzh Sargsyan—claimed that he was the one who had purchased the said paintings. Subsequently, he was questioned at the NSS, and with respect to this transaction. After the search, Narek Sargsyan’s brother, Hayk, was not summoned to the NSS; but he took part in the respective investigation at another law enforcement agency.
A search was conducted also at the places belonging to Narek Sargsyan and in his expensive cars. A container filled with a drug-like substance was found at one of these places.
To note, Sargsyan had given one of his expensive cars to his girlfriend as a present.
Narek Sargsyan and his bodyguard, Artem Petrosyan, have been included in the ongoing criminal investigation as defendants, a search has been declared for them, and arrest has been selected as preventive measure against them.
