YEREVAN -- The National Security Service of Armenia (HAAT) has detained 19 people suspected of being members of an "espionage network" in the South Caucasus nation.
The HAAT said on February 10 that dozens of servicemen in different units of the the armed forces may have been involved in the activities of the spy network, which worked for an unspecified nation.
According to the security agency, recruitment took place via an online dating service through which Armenian servicemen who possessed classified data and documents would eventually join the spy ring.
Once part of the operation, the servicemen would receive payments for sending the secret data to foreign intelligence services from mobile devices.
The statement said that investigators conducted more than 30 searches, confiscated documents and other items that led to the launching of the probe and that the spy ring's activities have been "disrupted."