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The National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia has uncovered another large-scale bribery case involving a senior customs officer.

According to the evidence obtained by the law-enforcement agency, on 25 January 2020 the shift manager of the Bavra customs checkpoint, along with two customs inspectors, accepting the proposal of a freight forwarding company’s co-owner, agreed to release from the customs area around 4.5 tons of cargo being transported by the company to Armenia from Georgia without proper customs inspection and clearance, in return for $3,000 in bribes.

One of the officers asked his acquaintance to distract the attention of other customs inspectors and employees of other services at the Bavra customs checkpoint in exchange for $200 bribe in an effort to ensure the passage of the cargo truck without customs clearance.

However, the officers have been apprehended by the NSS staff, with one of them confessing to the crime, the law-enforcement agency said in a statement on Friday.

The NSS has launched a criminal case, arresting four suspects.

A preliminary probe is underway.