Yerevan /Mediamax/. The Armenian National Security Service has stated that the recently disarmed criminal group planned a number of crimes against citizens, political and public figures, as well as particular state agencies.

Deputy Chief of Investigation Department of the National Security Service (NSC) Mikael Hambardzumyan has said to journalists today that acting in the interests of the investigation, he cannot detail on the particular crimes and persons that were targeted. He only said that they planned murders that would be dangerous for others as well.

According to Mikael Hambardzumyan, the NSC associates kept track of the gang’s actions and the neutralization took place a few days before the scheduled crime.

''The criminal group which had definite objectives, methods and targets was unveiled. The gang was provided with dozens of hundreds of dollars; the sources of the sums are being clarified'', he said.

As a result of the special operation carried out by the NSC, 21 persons were arrested with the accusations based on comparison of sufficient evidence.

''We will file a motion on application of the preventive punishment against the persons; the results of the investigation will be summed up. In the future phases of the preliminary investigation, the NSC will touch upon the already arrested and other persons' actions, their deeds will be given legal and criminal assessments additionally. Afterwards, the court will decide on their guilt'', he detailed.

As for the conjecture according to which the arrested were allegedly linked to the ISIS terrorist group, Mikael Hambardzumyan said that one of the arrested people, Arthur Vardanyan, was in Syria, and the version will be examined.

Mikael Hambardzumyan has denied the assertions according to which the neutralization of the criminal group was linked to the domestic political processes in Armenia.