YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–Since the declaration of Karabakh’s independence–the country’s law-enforcement agencies have blazed a difficult trail–taking a very active part in defending the country–Nagorno Karabakh Minister of the Interior Robert Shaferian said. The minister said that during hostilities 42 policemen have been killed and dozens of them wounded.
Shaferian also assured that in Karabakh there are no such crimes related to narcotics–pornography–gangs and racketeering–which are widely spread all over the world. According to him–fraud–embezzlement of state property–theft–and illegal possession of weapons and ammunition are typical in the republic–which can be accounted for by the recent war–social and economic instability and problems related to the transition into a new economic system. Last year the crime detection-rate was 95 percent–93.5 percent of them were detected by criminal investigation departmen’s. The number of felonies decreased by 30.6 percent–84 percent of them were detected.
Shaferian stated that Karabakh’s Ministry of the Interior has all the necessary structures that meet CIS standards. The Ministry has for long maintained relations with the Armenian Ministry of the Interior–but the official document concerning cooperation was signed on September 23–1998. The agreement stipulates rendering assistance in training and re-training the personnel in the establishmen’s of the Armenian Ministry of the Interior and National Security as well as cooperation in effective activities.
