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Due to the large-scale operative and investigative activities regarding several criminal cases considered by the RA National Security Service a criminal group engaged in organizing illegal migration has been discovered.

As the Press Service of Armenia’s NSS reports according to the preliminary evidence in 2016 under the pretext of a tourist agency, a group of individuals who have solid and coordinated contacts both in Armenia and abroad, have acquired visas from embassies of Schengen countries in post-Soviet area by submitting fake documents and information on more than 200 RA citizens and taking 2000-3500 euros from the unaware citizens.

The preliminary investigation has also revealed that Armenian officials carrying out special state services have also been involved in the fraud and who have ensured the entrance of those citizens to the Republic of Armenia by giving bribes of various amounts.

Five individuals have been charged for organizing illegal migration (Article 329.1 of the RA Criminal Code), taking bribes (Article 311 of the RA Criminal Code), giving bribes (Article 312 of the RA Criminal Code) and mediation of bribery (Article 313 of the RA Criminal Code).

In order to control and prevent the above mentioned incidents the RA NSS is currently cooperating with the law enforcement agencies of all those countries the residents of which have faced the mentioned fraud.

In order to prevent people from being engaged in fraudulent deals and suffering material losses the RA National Security Service reports that the Armenian citizens can receive visas from embassies of Schengen countries in post-Soviet area only in case they submit documents on their legal residence and pay a visit in person to the embassy of that country.

The preliminary investigation is underway.