Working consultation was held today in the RA Investigative Committee which was headed by the RA IC Chairman Aghvan Hovsepyan.
 

Issue on committing swindling by cheating by the detained and convicted kept in penitentiaries of the RA Ministry of Justice was involved in the agenda and the Head of Penitentiary Department of the RA Ministry of Justice Artur Osikyan was also invited and took part in the discussion.
 

According to the studies conducted by the instruction of the RA IC Chairman a number of poly episode swindling have been organized and committed by the persons kept in penitentiaries.
 

Thus, in 2016 964 cases of swindling money and property by cheating were recorded in the republic 106 of which (3 of them – extortion), according to the obtained evidence, were organized and committed by the convicts or detained kept in penitentiaries. Pursuant to initial data, the property damage inflicted to citizens and legal entities by them is about 150 million AMD.   
 

“Studies show that a number of swindling by cheating, with abuse of confidence were committed by detained persons or convicts serving their terms in penitentiaries where their isolation would be provided, chances of committing new crimes would be limited, however, it was found that even in these conditions they continue committing a number of crimes, including swindling. Being in penitentiary they are able to get in touch with different legal entities and natural persons, gain their confidence and then abuse it inflicting significant property damage. Numerous cases of this type have been revealed in the framework of criminal cases and measures must be taken not only to reveal the crimes but also to prevent them”, said the RA IC Chairman Aghvan Hovsepyan.
 

Actual data obtained through criminal cases investigated in the proceeding of the Investigative Committee show that cases of swindling were committed in different ways – the main means is mobile phones via which some detained and convicts had an opportunity to use internet. They carry out and complete their criminal intentions through accomplices who are in freedom.
 

Studying the criminal cases in the proceeding of subdivisions of the RA Investigative Committee it was found that besides the above-mentioned 106 cases which have already been revealed, in more than 100 cases of swindling the persons having committed the apparent crime got in touch with the affected via mobile phones the calls of which were served by antennas located near different penitentiaries of the RA Ministry of Justice. Pursuant to initial data, in all probability, they also have been committed by the persons kept in penitentiaries and appropriate investigatory and other procedural actions are conducted to reveal them. It is necessary to note that our citizens are entrapped by criminals in quite simple situations and as a result they suffer a serious material damage.
 

Crimes organized and committed by persons kept in penitentiaries via phones or internet are not limited only by swindling and extortion, through investigation of numerous criminal cases it was found and grounded that via the same technical means cases of illegal turnover of narcotic drugs were organized and committed, as well.   
 

In the result of consultation the RA IC Chairman gave a number of instructions to raise the efficiency of investigation of this type of crime, at the same time he highlighted the public awareness and enhancement of citizens’ awareness level. Contributing conditions and causes were analyzed together with the representatives of Penitentiary Department of the RA Ministry of Justice and certain arrangements were achieved to improve the information exchange, to have working discussions in separate cases which will allow to improve first of all the efficiency of implementation of preventive actions by penitentiary employees, as well as the efficiency of disclosures.