American experts to assist Armenia in combating drug trafficking

Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Armenia, Artur Poghosyan, announced on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, the upcoming visit of specialized American experts in combating illicit drug trafficking to the republic. Foreign specialists will arrive to provide consultative and practical assistance to Armenian law enforcement agencies, aimed at strengthening national capacity in countering criminal groups and international smuggling channels.

This statement was made within the walls of the National Assembly during preliminary joint hearings of standing parliamentary committees dedicated to discussing the country's draft state budget for 2027. The reason for Poghosyan's speech was questions from MP David Kazinyan, who expressed serious concern over the widespread distribution of synthetic drugs, their criminal distribution schemes, and the associated illegal trafficking of firearms. The parliamentarian demanded explanations from the leadership of the investigative body regarding the steps being taken to eliminate major logistics chains of smuggling.

Priority of interception at the state border

The head of the Investigative Committee informed the deputies that final agreements on providing expert assistance were reached during his recent working trip to the United States. Characterizing the key strategy of his department, Poghosyan emphasized that intercepting supplies directly at border control points must become an absolute operational priority compared to the subsequent search for small retail batches that have already entered domestic circulation.

"The task is to intercept drugs at the smuggling stage so that they do not enter the Republic of Armenia and are not broken down into smaller batches. Detecting them later becomes significantly more difficult. In other words, the task is to prevent this at the initial stage," stated Artur Poghosyan.

In addition to operational measures at the border, the head of the department explained in detail the position of the preliminary investigation bodies regarding the application of preventive measures to detained members of criminal networks. According to Poghosyan, investigators regularly submit motions to courts for the selection of detention as a preventive measure in all criminal cases related to the sale or mediation in the realization of prohibited substances. Exceptions to this rule are allowed only for those suspects who actively cooperate with the investigation, expose the organizers of top-level supply channels, and provide evidence of the criminal community's activities.

Tasks of the technical mission and review of protocols

The announced cooperation program is based on agreements reached by Poghosyan at the end of October 2026 during his visit to the USA. As part of that trip, the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Armenia participated in the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference and held a series of working meetings with representatives of specialized American structures for drug control and law enforcement.

In accordance with the outlined schedule, in the coming weeks, American specialists will conduct a series of technical working meetings in Yerevan with Armenian investigators and border security personnel. The main tasks of the joint work will be the improvement of existing protocols for detecting prohibited cargo, the neutralization of drug distribution channels via internet platforms, and the establishment of more effective interagency coordination.