Armenian defence official charged with theft of $420,000 in thermal imagers

An official from Armenia’s Ministry of Defence has been charged with stealing military-issued thermal imaging devices valued at more than $420,000.

According to Caliber.Az, which cited Armenian media, the country’s Anti-Corruption Committee announced that criminal proceedings were launched after the Military Police of the Ministry of Defence submitted a report on the alleged theft.

“On the basis of a report received from the Military Police of the Ministry of Defence, the Anti-Corruption Committee of the Republic of Armenia initiated a criminal case. During the preliminary investigation, it was established that the individual, who held the position of head of the relevant service in two different military units of the Ministry of Defence, abused his official powers. Over the course of 2024, this person committed the theft of thermal imaging devices totalling approximately 160 million Armenian drams,” the committee stated. The amount corresponds to around $420,000 at today’s exchange rate.

Investigators determined that the official stole 37 thermal-imaging sights of various models that had been assigned to his supervision and stored in the warehouses of two Defence Ministry units. Although their total value was assessed at about 160 million drams, the devices were allegedly sold to a resident of Yerevan for prices ten times below market value, ranging from 50,000 to 450,000 drams, or approximately $130 to $1,200 per unit.

The committee added that the official had also prepared official documents containing “false information about the alleged transfer of the thermal imaging devices,” thereby attempting to conceal the theft.

By Tamilla Hasanova