Armenians caught smuggling gold-bearing soil in Altay

Artur Mkrtchyan and Karen Khostegyan from Armenia gave an officer of the Interior Ministry 100,000 rubles on January 11, 2013, as a bribe to allow transportation of precious metals through Gorny Altay, RIA Novosti reports.

They gave an official of the Rusnik Vesely Company 735,000 rubles for access to its mine to take gold-bearing soil.

They attempted to get over 190kg of gold-bearing soil.