YEREVAN - Three Armenian nationals suspected of being involved with a criminal ring trafficking assault weapons to the United States were arrested in Armenia, the deputy head of Armenia's national security agency, Grach Arutunian, said Monday.
On March 15 the United States announced that it was prosecuting 18 people suspected of attempting to bring illegal assault weapons from eastern Europe across US borders.
Among them is 26-year-old Armenian Artur Solomonian, who has been sought by Armenian police for desertion since 2002.
According to Arutunian, the three recently arrested suspects were "in permanent contact with Solomonian, and on his orders took pictures of weapons in an Armenian military detachment."
US FBI agent Bryan Paarmann is taking part in the recently opened Armenian investigation.
So far there are no missing weapons from the photographed detachment.
03/21/2005 18:57 GMT