CRIME RATE IN ARMENIA UP 13 PERCENT

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS: Armenian national statistical committee said 8,202 crimes were registered by law-enforcement bodies in January-October of 2006, 13.2 percent up from a year. It said 938 crimes were against persons, including 60 murders and 22 murder attempts, 532 cases of intentional injury and 48 cases of sexual assault.
Another 1,853 crimes were against public order and people’s health, a 30 percent year-over-year growth. One case of banditry, 344 cases of hooliganism, 157 cases of illegal arms possession, 468 cases of traffic rules violation were registered. The committee said 162 people were killed in road accidents and 783 drug-related crimes were reported.
Out of 264 economic crimes 40 were related to printing or sale of fake bank notes. Forty cases of power abuse and draft were reported.
At a news conference in early November Lieutenant-General Ararat Mahtesian, deputy chief of the law-enforcement agency, said Armenia remained one of the safest countries in Europe and the former Soviet Union.
He said the Armenian crime rate is nine and four times lower than those in Russia and Georgia respectively, comparing favorably with that of many European countries.