Azerbaijan seizes huge heroin shipment
By Ayya Lmahamad
Azerbaijan has thwarted an attempt to smuggle over 622 kg of heroin across the country's customs border, State Customs Committee Chairman Col-Gen Safar Mehdiyev has tweeted.
"As part of measures to combat illicit drug trafficking, customs officers conducted another successful operation. Attempts to smuggle more than 622 kg of heroin across the country's customs border were prevented," wrote on his official Twitter page.
According to operational information, a truck, sent by an Iranian citizen, transporting raisins to Moldova through the Azerbaijani territory, was detained at the Astara customs checkpoint. Upon inspection, heroin weighing 301 kilograms 475 g was found in one part of the fuel tank [which was divided into two parts].
Another truck, transporting pistachios and dates from Azerbaijan to Moldova, was detained at the Samur customs checkpoint. Upon inspection, the vehicle's fuel tank was divided by a metal plate into two parts, one part was filled with diesel fuel and the other part was filled with heroin weighing 320 kg 600 g.
In early September, Azerbaijan thwarted an attempt to smuggle 11.7 kg of drugs from neighboring Iran. In early October, the State Border Service foiled another attempt to smuggle drugs from Iran into Azerbaijan.
After liberating its lands from Armenia's occupation in the 44-day war with Armenia in 2020, Azerbaijan restored control over the 132-km section of the Azerbaijan-Iran border.
After restoring its territorial integrity, Azerbaijan is taking measures to ensure safety and restore order in the liberated lands. One of such measures is to stop drug flow in the region that was previously controlled by an illegal regime in Karabakh set up by Armenia.
During its 30-year occupation of Azerbaijani territories, Armenia used Karabakh and adjacent seven regions for its illegal activities, including arms and drugs trafficking. Although Azerbaijan repeatedly raised the issue before the international organizations, Armenia continued in the same vein, creating all the necessary conditions there for the illegal cultivation, production, and further distribution of narcotic substances.
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Ayya Lmahamad is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @AyyaLmahamad
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