The National Security Service of Armenia completed the preliminary  investigation into the case of the ex- commander of the NKR Defense  Army

ArmInfo. In the Investigation Department of the National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia, a preliminary investigation was completed with respect to 7  defendants in the criminal case under investigation on the facts of  money laundering, as well as illegal acquisition, storage and  transportation of ammunition. This was reported by the press center  of the National Security Service of Armenia.

According to the source, the investigation found that in July 2016  citizen Samvel Babayan reliably learned that people living in the  Russian Federation have a large batch of money withdrawn from cash  circulation and euro banknotes filled with special paint. He  undertookMeasures for their acquisition, distortion through chemical  cleaning and processing of their criminal origin and further  introduction into circulation in the territory of Armenia. In these  operations Babayan was assisted by a resident of Yerevan Karen  Kocharyan, Andranik Kocharyan, a resident of the village of Buzhakan,  who has knowledge of chemistry Zhor Zakaryan. In August-September  2016 Samvel Babayan, as the first party, purchased 100 banknotes in  nominal value of 50 euros, paying for them 2900 dollars. Then Karen  Kocharyan organized the transportation of these banknotes from Russia  to Armenia by bus with the help of Yerevan resident David  Harutyunyan. However, on September 20, 2016, banknotes were  discovered and seized by NSS officers in Yerevan.

As noted in the investigation of another criminal case, it became  known that Samvel Babayan, planning to acquire MANPADS "Igla",  promised in summer2016 Vaharshapat resident Sanasar Gabrielyan $ 50  thousand for his illegal acquisition, transportation and storage.  Gabrielyan illegally acquired the complex through residents of  Vagharshapat Armen Pogosyan and Hrachya Mailyana who traveled to  Georgia and agreed to purchase the complex for $ 38,000 through a  resident of the village of Vagharshapat RA living there. After the  delivery to Armenia, Poghosyan and Gabrielyan photographed it to show  Babayan. Samvel Babayan promised to pay 50 thousand dollars. On March  22, 2017, Mailyan voluntarily presented weapons to the National  Security Service. On the same day after Gabrielyan's detention,  Samvel Babayan tried to destroy photographs of weapons and eliminate  all traces, but he was also detained. To implement a comprehensive,  full and objective investigation, the above criminal cases were  combined into one proceeding. Samvel Babayan charged with Part 1 of  Art. 190 and Part 2 of Art.  38-235 of the RA Criminal Code. The  charge of smuggling weapons was lifted. The criminal case against the  indictment is sent to the prosecutor who oversees. It should be  reminded that the court of general jurisdiction of Yerevan's  administrative districts Kentron and Nork-Marash granted an  application for a 2-month detention in respect of the former  commander of the Defense Army Artsakh Samvel Babayan within the  framework of the criminal case on the smuggling of MANPADS .   The former commander of the Artsakh Defense Army Samvel Babayan was  then charged on the grounds of Part 2 of Art. 235 and part 2 of  article 235.1 of the RA Criminal Code.

The press service of the Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia  reported on March 25 that Samvel Babayan, the former commander of the  Artsakh Defense Army (NKR), although he does not recognize the  accusations brought against him in the case of the smuggling of the  Igla to the Armenia, during interrogation in the status of the  suspect, together with other Held in this case by suspects,  acknowledged his involvement in the illegal trafficking in ammunition  and reported on the incident.