New Armenia refutes information that the detained criminals have ties with New Armenia Front

The New Armenia Front refutes the information that the armed criminal group detained by the National Security Service on Wednesday has ties with the New Armenia Front, Andreas Ghukasyan, member of the political council of the New Armenia Front, has told ArmInfo.   
"Apparently, the ruling criminal regime in Armenia is trying to use the alleged ties with the armed group to harm the image of the Front. The details of the incident are not clear enough, however, the fact of such media reports and speculations demonstrates that the information war has reached its peak," he says.     
Ghukasyan also thinks that the given situation will have a negative effect on both the outcome of the December 6 constitutional referendum, the political processes in the country and its international image.  "By creating artificial political processes, the authorities are trying to draw the attention away from the most significant event," he says. The politician points out a dangerous trend of terrorist attacks in the run- up to the referendum. He recalls that on the threshold of the presidential elections in 2013, the public attention was focused on the attack on candidate Paruyr Hayrikyan and then on the proceeding against another candidate Vardan Sedrakyan. "Certainly, the public did not believe that performance but this affected the political processes and the public confidence," he says. 
To note, as a result of investigative measures taken by the National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia, an organized criminal group intending to commit grave crimes in the territory of Armenia has been disclosed, the NSS press office reports. The source says that a citizen of Armenia Arthur Vardanyan, native of Yerevan, living in a foreign state, set up and managed a criminal group as soon as he arrived in Yerevan in 2015.  According to preliminary agreement, the group illegally acquired weapons and ammunition. The weapons were stored at one of the private houses in Nork district.  On November 25, the joint measures taken with the Armenian Police arms and ammunition, explosives, communication facilities and others were found. 
As many as 10 people were arrested at the private house. The Investigative Department of the Armenian National Security instituted a criminal case based on Article 223, Parts 1 and 2, and Article 235 Part 3 of the Armenian Criminal Code. Investigation is underway. According to ArmInfo's data, two of the criminal group members managed to escape. By media reports, the group has ties with New Armenia Front that is opposing the Constitutional referendum in the country.