Investigation concluded: Criminal group bypassed customs with forged  documents for vehicles from Georgia

ArmInfo.  The Investigative Committee of Armenia has concluded a preliminary  investigation into a criminal scheme involving the illegal  importation of vehicles from Georgia using forged documentation. The  fraudulent activities resulted in a loss of approximately 1.213  billion AMD (3.1 million USD) to the state budget.

According to investigators, a criminal group established a structured  mechanism to bypass legal customs procedures. Between 2023 and 2025,  members of the group obtained forged powers of attorney purportedly  issued by Kazakhstani citizens who had purchased vehicles in Armenia  between 2018 and 2020. Using these documents, they filed false  reports with the Ministry of Internal Affairs claiming that the  license plates and registration certificates for these vehicles had  been lost, subsequently obtaining duplicate documents.

The group then purchased vehicles in Georgia matching the specific  makes, models, production years, and colors listed on the duplicate  certificates. In neutral zones along the Georgian-Armenian and  Georgian- Russian borders, they removed the original vehicle  identification numbers (VINs) and replaced them with forged  identifiers corresponding to the documents they held. By crossing the  Armenian border with these altered vehicles, they created the  illusion that the original vehicles, which had been exported to  Kazakhstan years prior, were being re-imported into Armenia.

Criminal proceedings have been initiated against 10 individuals for  charges including the establishment of and participation in a  criminal organization, the use of forged documents, the falsification  of vehicle identification elements, and large-scale tax evasion  totaling 1,213,026,100 AMD.

Preventive measures for the suspects include house arrest for two  individuals, administrative supervision for three, and travel  restrictions for the remainder. Authorities have seized the assets of  five defendants and impounded 218 vehicles as material evidence. The  case, complete with an indictment, has been forwarded to the  supervising prosecutor's office.