YEREVAN. May 24 (Interfax) - The Armenian National Security Service has reported the detention of a man suspected of smuggling around one tonne of cocaine, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has disclosed some details.
"The Main Investigative Directorate of the National Security Service, based on the information received, has decided to prosecute M.G., head of the import and procurement department of Mrgeni LLC. He was detained to face trial. The detainee, acting as a member of a criminal group, was involved in transferring and smuggling drugs," the press service for the Armenian National Security Service said.
Pashinyan said at a government Q&A session in the parliament on Wednesday that the recipient of the cocaine is a company belonging to Mihran Poghosyan, a former parliament member, who is now on the wanted list.
"The recipient of this one tonne of cocaine is a well-known company that imports bananas, which is owned by [Mihran Poghosyan], a former member of the National Assembly, who is now wanted. If I'm not mistaken, he is a member of the Armenian Republican Party [led by Armenia's ex-president Serzh Sargsyan]," Pashinyan said.
According to Armenian media, the Mrgeni company was founded in 2018 by Mihran Poghosyan, ex-chief bailiff of Armenia and former parliament member. The company imports tropical fruit. Before 2018, Poghosyan owned the Ketrin Group company, which was one of the largest importers of tropical fruit to Armenia. Poghosyan is on the wanted list. He is charged with abuse of office in Armenia.
The Armenian National Security Service seized a tonne of cocaine brought into the country from Ecuador on May 17.
Italian media earlier reported that the Italian Financial Guard had found and seized more than 2.7 tonnes of cocaine, which was also being transported from Ecuador to Armenia along with 78 tonnes of bananas.