Armenia reports sharp increase in particularly grave crimes

Armenia has witnessed a significant rise in particularly grave crimes during the first half of 2024, Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan said as she addressed the government meeting.

Vardapetyan revealed a 17.2 per cent increase in the number of particularly grave crimes compared to the same period in 2023, Caliber.Az reports citing Armenian media.

The total number of recorded crimes in the first six months of 2024 reached 18,818, up from 19,891 in the first half of 2023. Vardapetyan noted that while petty and medium crimes have remained consistent, accounting for 81 per cent of the total crimes reported, grave crimes overall decreased by 8.2 per cent.

However, the alarming uptick in especially serious offenses, particularly those involving firearms, has raised significant concern.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan acknowledged the issue, linking the rise in violent crimes to the proliferation of weapons following the 44-day war. During a recent Security Council session, Pashinyan highlighted the need to address the problem of missing firearms and directed the Interior Ministry to overhaul its approach to locating illegal weapons.

The revised search methodology has shown some improvement, but the government remains focused on combating the surge in serious criminal activities.