Russia’s security agency accuses Armenian lawmaker of benefitting from stolen diamonds

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) on Monday accused Armenian businessman and the ruling Civil Contract party’s parliament member Khachatur Sukiasyan of benefitting from stolen diamonds smuggled from Russia into Armenia, allegations his spokesperson denied,  reports https://www.civilnet.am/en/.

The FSB claimed that it had uncovered a scheme that allowed a criminal group of Russians and Armenians steal high-quality diamonds from Russian mining giant Alrosa and send them to an Armenian company called ADM Diamonds, allegedly owned by Sukiasyan. The Russian security agency named Armenian citizens as key figures in the plot, saying that the stolen stones were ultimately sold across Armenia. Stolen diamonds were shipped to Armenia’s ADM Diamond, whose beneficiary is Armenian lawmaker K. Sukiasyan,” the FSB said in a statement.

The alleged operation involved Alrosa employee Valentina Matyushenkova, her son, and Armenian and Russian nationals Armen Petrosyan and Arman Sahakyan, who were arrested while attempting to steal a batch of diamonds estimated at roughly $22,000.