Armenia's National Security Service (NSS) said it has uncovered and neutralized a spy network operating on the territory of the country.
According to the NSS press service, evidence was obtained that two dozen Armenian military worked for foreign intelligence services in return for money. It said also that the network’s hostile activities were directed against the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of Armenia.
In order to conduct their espionage activities unhindered and relatively safe, fake personal pages with Armenian women's data and photos were created in social networks. Members of foreign secret services, fluent in Armenian, got in touch with people holding different posts in the Armenian armed forces. Network acquaintances developed into close relationships, and then the military were offered to cooperate with them for money and provide defense-related information, in particular, the location of military units, personnel number, weapons, ammunition, quantity and types of military equipment, the command staff, engineering structures and so on.
About two dozen Armenian citizens, who used to hold various posts in the Armed Forces and were able to work with the documents containing state and official secrets due to their service duty, were involved in the network of agents, who used various mobile applications to transfer the military and other information available to them or collected at their request to the representatives of foreign secret services in installments for money, ARKA reported.
According to NSS, the preliminary investigation of the criminal case revealed the identities of the Armenian citizens involved in the spy network, the volume and contents of the information they sent to foreign secret services.
About 30 searches were conducted; items and documents significant for the investigation, including the originals, as well as proof of payment in currency were seized. A total of 19 people were detained during the preliminary investigation into the criminal case on suspicion of treason, some of whom pleaded guilty.
