On July 29, Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan visited Tavush region to summarize the first half of 2025 activities carried out by the Ministry’s services.
Present at the summary meeting of the Police’s activities were the Head of Police – Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Aram Ghazaryan, Secretary General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Ara Fidanyan, as well as senior leadership of the Ministry and the Police.
The Head of the Tavush Regional Department of Criminal Police presented the work done over the past six months. In the overall picture of serious and particularly serious crimes within the scope of criminal police functions, there has been a decrease in residential burglaries and cyber fraud, and an increase in crimes against persons. There has also been an increase in the detection of illicit drug trafficking, which is positively assessed in the context of tackling latent crimes.
Out of 664 crimes registered at the Ijevan Division of the Community Police, 562 have been solved. Minor and medium-gravity crimes against persons have decreased, while crimes against public health have increased, also linked to the detection of illicit drug-related offenses.
In the Dilijan Division of the Community Police, 159 criminal cases were registered, 82 of which were solved. Crimes against persons and public order have decreased, while those against economic activity and property have increased.
In the service area of the Noyemberyan Division of the Community Police, crimes against persons have also decreased, while environmental crimes have increased. Of the 166 cases registered over the past six months, 138 have been solved.
Out of the 100 crimes registered in the Tavush Division of the Community Police, 68 have been solved. Crimes against property have decreased, while crimes against public health have increased, again associated with the detection of drug-related offenses.
The Tavush battalion of the Patrol Service responded to 2,921 calls during the reporting half-year — 365 more than in the same period last year. Based on various administrative offenses, Tavush patrol officers issued a total of 27,029 reports — an increase of 2,437 compared to the same period last year. In addition, they uncovered 171 crimes, including numerous cases of illegal logging and document forgery.
Addressing crimes against environmental safety, Arpine Sargsyan instructed that regular patrols be carried out and intensified monitoring be established in target areas — to prevent and promptly detect illegal logging and identify illegally operating charcoal production units — emphasizing the importance of coordinated action with the eco-patrol service.
In this context, Minister Sargsyan demanded that the staff, by applying tools provided by legislation, take measures to prevent the loss of evidence related to illegal logging cases, ensuring that illegal loggers do not evade criminal liability.
Regarding the effective detection of serious and particularly serious crimes against persons, Arpine Sargsyan instructed to intensify cooperation with prosecutorial and investigative bodies to ensure the establishment of sufficient evidentiary bases and the proper handling of charging the perpetrators.
The Minister also instructed the staff to maintain constant focus on locating wanted individuals and seizing illegally held weapons and ammunition, as their effective implementation is of a preventive nature.
Highlighting that Tavush is a tourism region, Arpine Sargsyan instructed that public-facing police services be organized and conducted in a manner that prevents violations of public order.
Expressing satisfaction with the work of the Patrol Service, the Minister demanded that the heads of the subdivisions conduct thorough staff briefings based on in-depth analysis of road incidents in the province, which will enable more effective service organization and help reduce road traffic accidents with severe consequences.
Among the Minister’s instructions to Police services were also matters related to the continuous development of theoretical knowledge and practical skills.
On the same day, Arpine Sargsyan, accompanied by the Director of the Rescue Service – Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Kamo Tsutsulyan, visited the Ijevan Fire and Rescue Squad, familiarized herself with the building and equipment conditions, and reviewed the technical and professional gear. The Minister expressed gratitude to the region’s firefighters and rescuers for their active efforts in forest fire prevention.
Later, the Minister, along with Deputy Minister Armen Ghazaryan and Head of the Migration and Citizenship Service Nelly Davtyan, visited the Ijevan Division of the Migration and Citizenship Service, got acquainted with the one-stop-shop service model, and spoke with citizens receiving services, inquiring about the quality of services provided.
The Minister also visited the Ijevan Registration and Examination Unit of the MIA Department of Registration, Examination, Permits, and Licensing, toured the premises with the Head of the Department Ararat Tevosyan, and interacted with citizens, who expressed satisfaction with the quality of services delivered.
