Azerbaijani police seize 14 kg of drugs smuggled from Iran PHOTO/VIDEO

Azerbaijani Interior Ministry’s officers have prevented another attempt to smuggle drugs from Iran.

The Sabunchu District Police Department officers have detained six members of three gangs, and seized 14 kg of drugs from them, as part of the operation against drug trafficking, Caliber.Az reports, citing the ministry’s press service.

The detainees, Anar Guliyev, Elshan Sarizada, Sadig Hasanov, Sanan Gubatov, Vugar Amirov and Eldar Hasanov, who are residents of Baku, said they received drugs for sale from citizens of Iran named "Mehsun" and "Isi" whom they met in social networks.

Criminal proceedings have been instituted under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code, and a preventive measure in the form of arrest has been taken against the detainees.

Drug smuggling from Iran's territory has increased in recent months. Azerbaijan has faced numerous drug-trafficking attempts, all of which have been foiled.

After liberating its lands from Armenia's occupation in a 44-day war with Armenia in 2020, Azerbaijan restored control over the 132 km section of the Azerbaijan-Iran border.

Drugs are traditionally smuggled in from Afghanistan into Iran and from there into Azerbaijan. Taking into account the geographical location of our country, drug traffickers try to smuggle drugs into European countries along the Balkan route by transit through Azerbaijan.