Azerbaijan cracks down on drug trafficking with nearly 7,000 accountability cases in 2024

Over the first 10 months of 2024, a total of 6,693 individuals have been brought to criminal responsibility for illegal drug trafficking in Azerbaijan, according to the permanent working group of the State Commission for Combating Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking.

The report highlights that among those charged, 59 foreign nationals were involved, with citizens from a variety of countries facing legal action, Caliber.Az reports.

Notably, 25 of these foreign individuals were from the Islamic Republic of Iran, while 10 were from Russia, 13 from Türkiye, 7 from Georgia, 1 from Uzbekistan, 2 from Ukraine, and 1 from the United Arab Emirates.

A total of 212 kg 424.217 grams of various types of narcotic substances and psychotropic drugs were seized from foreign nationals.

Let's underline that the State Commission's working group continues to monitor and take action against illegal drug trafficking networks, with the aim of reducing both domestic and international drug-related crimes in the region.

In the first half of 2024, law enforcement agencies uncovered 6,458 drug-related crimes. Of these, 1,974 were linked to the illegal sale of narcotics, while 4,313 involved the unlawful acquisition and possession of drugs. Additionally, 168 cases of illegal cultivation of narcotic crops were identified. Authorities confiscated a total of 4,299 kilograms of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, including 443 kilograms of heroin, 3,477 kilograms of marijuana, and over 103 kilograms of opium.

By Khagan Isayev