On 17 May, an Armenian law enforcement agency announced that they had seized about one ton of cocaine. This seizure comes one day after an even larger shipment of the drug, allegedly intended for Armenia, was discovered in Italy. 

The National Security Service (NSS) revealed that the cocaine was found inside boxes of fruit that an Armenian company imported. The company had received the fruit from Ecuador through a route that involved Panama, Italy, and Georgia. The NSS did not disclose the company's name, nor did they report any arrests concerning this significant seizure.

Armenia՛s State Revenue Committee previously, in 2014, 2017, and 2021 conducted major operations to seize heroin that was being smuggled from neighboring Iran. 

The announcement from the NSS came the day after Italian police seized 2.7 tons of «extremely pure» cocaine, which they claimed was intended to be transported to Armenia. A large quantity of drugs was discovered in refrigerated banana containers shipped from Ecuador to the southern Italian port of Gioia Tauro.

The report by Italian police on the massive seizure of cocaine destined for Armenia was used by opposition politicians and other critics to blame the Armenian government for the increase in drug trafficking and drug abuse in the country.

During a conversation with journalists, Agnesa Khamoyan, a deputy of the opposition faction, said: "Drug trafficking has become so widespread in the country that if it continues at its current level, it could pose a major threat.”