Border force awards Armenian villagers for help in frontier crosser detention

YEREVAN, September 11. /ARKA/. The frontier guarding unit of Russia’s Federal Security Service in Armenia has awarded two Armenian villagers who helped the Russian border guards to detain a border crosser, Novosti-Amrenia reported on Thursday referring to the press secretary of the unit Sergey Grechin.

The incident occurred on September 2 at the Armenian-Turkish border. Rafik Petrosyan and Karo Davtyan, villagers from Ararat, found a crosser on the bank of the River Araks, detained him and called the guards, Grechin said.

The crosser, Farid Emami Satara, 26-year-old citizen to Afghanistan said he was on his way from Iran to Turkey where his family lives. Satara is transferred to Armenia’s National Security Service for further investigation.

Grechin said villagers have been always helping the border force and that is why the border is secured.

Armenia’s 330-kilometer border with Turkey and 45-kilometer border with Iran is guarded by the frontier force of Russia’s Federal Security Service, which, according to Armenia’s leadership, is an important component of the country’s national security. The frontier guarding is provided under an agreement signed between Armenia and Russia in Yerevan on September 30, 1992.

The Russian border force in Armenia consists of four platoons – in Giumry, Armavir, Artashat and Meghri. Maintenance costs for the force (about 4,500 people) are covered by the two governments on more or less 50/50 basis. –0--