Azerbaijan detains 26 for border violations amid crackdown on crime, smuggling During September / PHOTO

Azerbaijan’s State Border Service (SBS) has reported a continued crackdown on illegal border crossings, smuggling, and drug trafficking during September 2025.

Thus, 26 individuals were detained for violating the country’s state borders last month, including four Azerbaijani citizens, Caliber.Az reports, citing SBS.

Other detainees were from Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Algeria, Afghanistan, Morocco, Iraq, and Tajikistan.

Four people were caught attempting to cross the border using forged or stolen documents. Overall, 578 individuals were detained for breaching border regulations.

As part of wider crime prevention measures, 334 people wanted by the authorities were handed over to relevant agencies, while 645 individuals prohibited from leaving the country were prevented from doing so, and 59 people barred from entering Azerbaijan were stopped.

In efforts to combat drug trafficking, authorities seized 685.575 kilograms of various narcotics and 5,960 psychotropic tablets.

Anti-smuggling operations uncovered goods worth 8.63 million Azerbaijani manats (over $5 million), including pharmaceuticals, alcoholic beverages, and tobacco products.

By Aghakazim Guliyev