On April 22, 2010 the RA National Security Service initiated a criminal case according to the RA Criminal Code Articles 215, part 2 and 233, part against the RA citizens Sumbat Tonoyan and Hrant Ohanyan for obtaining enriched radioactive material 90.8% uranium from Garik Dadayan (sentenced in 2004 for the contraband of radioactive material uranium) in March, 2010 in Yerevan, taking it to Georgia by the train Yerevan-Tbilisi and selling it in Tbilisi.

Garik Dadayan was charged on April 22, 2010 according to the RA Criminal Code Articles 38-215, part 2 (helper in the contraband of radioactive materials) and 233, part 1 (illegal turnover of radioactive materials) for coming to the criminal agreement with the RA citizens Sumbat Tonoyan and Hrant Ohanyan by telephone in March 2010 to obtain enriched radioactive material uranium and to sell it in Georgia and to share the profit.

For the implementation and support of the criminal plan G. Dadayan demanded and received from S. Tonoyan 1000 USD through Unistream money transfer system for the travel expenses and on March 10, 2010 came to Yerevan from Moscow. On the same day he gave Hrant Ohanyan 17 grams of illegally obtained enriched radioactive material uranium in a cigarette box. The mentioned radioactive material was taken to Tbilisi, Georgia on March 11, 2010 across the Armenian Customs border and on the same day H. Ohanyan and S. Tonoyan tried to sell it to the citizen of Georgia Zaza Kivkivadze but they were found by the employees of the law enforcement bodies of Georgia.

Thus on March 11, 2010 G. Dadayan supported H. Ohanyan and S. Tonoyan to hide from the RA Customs supervision 17 grams of enriched radioactive material uranium and take it to Georgia as well as to illegally obtain and keep the mentioned radioactive material.

H. Ohanyan and S. Tonoyan in 2010 were found guilty by the Georgian Court for the contraband and illegal turnover of radioactive materials and sentenced to 13 and 14 years of imprisonment.
The part of the criminal case initiated by the RA National Security Service relating to G. Dadayan was separated and on December 9, 2010 the bill of indictment was sent to the Court of First Instance of Tavish region. On May 25, 2011 G. Dadayan was found guilty according to the RA Criminal Code Articles 38-215, part 2 and 233, part 1 and sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment with the confiscation of property.

Measures are taken to find out where the uranium was obtained from as it was revealed during the investigation of the criminal case that there are not technical and laboratory condition in Armenia where enriched radioactive material 90.8% uranium can be made.

At present, the separated part of the criminal case has been suspended, taking into consideration the fact that the RA citizens H. Ohanyan and S. Tonoyan sentenced in Georgia are also accused in Armenia within the framework of the mentioned criminal case, and however the operative works to find out the source of the uranium taken to Georgia are continued.

G. Dadayan's defenders appealed to the RA Court of Criminal Appeals the decision of the Court of First Instance of Tavush region made on May 25, 2011.

The RA General Prosecutor's Office considers G. Dadayan's case as a progress in the context of the implementation of responsibilities undertaken by the Republic of Armenia during the Nuclear Security Summit on Illicit Nuclear Trafficking held in Washington, in 2010.

The Republic of Armenia joined 46 states by offering its support in the implementation of the Work Plan as to which "the Participating States will strive to improve their national criminal laws, as needed, to ensure that they have the adequate authority to prosecute all types of cases of illicit nuclear trafficking and nuclear terrorism and commit to prosecuting these crimes to the full extent of the law".

The RA National Security Service succeeded in detecting G. Dadayan's criminal activity and tries to prevent other cases of contraband as well as to call to liability all the persons involved in this case.

Within the Nuclear Security Summit and other international mechanisms the Republic of Armenia develops its experience and potential to prevent the illegal turnover and contraband of the radioactive materials. The Republic of Armenia closely cooperates with other countries in order to detect other groupings involved in the illegal turnover of radioactive materials and to arrest the guilty persons as well as to support the investigation of the criminal cases.

RoA Prosecutor General's Office