Azernews.Az

By Vugar Khalilov

The Azerbaijani State Border Service seized over 52.8 kg of drugs and some 3,240 psychotropic pills and 42.1 kg of medicine on the border with Iran in June-July, Azernews reports, citing the service.

Moreover, the service recently destroyed some 1,200 kg of wild hemp bushes as part of its efforts to ensure border protection and combat illegal drug trafficking.

At 0350 on June 12, a border guard operating in Yardimli region's Deman village observed three unidentified individuals violating the state border from Iran to Azerbaijan. The area was immediately cordoned off.

The smugglers dumped the parcels in their hands on the ground and rushed back towards Iran, taking advantage of the rough terrain and complicated topography, disobeying the border guards' “stop” command and a warning shot in the air.

During the chase of the border violators, one unknown individual was seen rushing through the night towards a neighboring town. Currently, efforts are being made to identify the individual and bring him to justice, the state agency said.

As a result of the inspection of the area, 8.8 kg of drug-like substances (1 kg of opium, 7 kg of 800 grams of marijuana), 700 pieces of psychotropic substances, as well as methadone-40 pill, and over 42.1 kg of various types of medicine were taken from four parcels hidden among the rocks and thick bushes.

On June 19, at 1830 hours, a border guard serving in the area of the border post near the refugee settlement No. 8 of Bilasuvar region discovered signs of a border breach from Iran to Azerbaijan. The service area was immediately closed.

As a result of the border search and operational measures, some 24.2 kg of drugs (23 kg 700 grams of marijuana, 400 grams of heroin, and 100 grams of methamphetamine) and 1,200 pieces of pregabalin pills were taken from two packages hidden in the area.

Furthermore, on July 4 at 1100 hours, as a result of the complex operation-search and preventive measures, codenamed Xash-Xash-2022, 1,713 pieces of wild hemp bushes, a total weight of 1,200, was discovered in the area near the borderline of Zangilan’s Burunlu village. The bushes were collected with the help of local city police officers and Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry staff, and they were destroyed by burning.

At 0015 on July 7, a border guard serving in the area of the border post located near Fuzuli’s Bala Bahmanli village noticed an unknown individual violating the state border from Iran to Azerbaijan.

The service area was immediately cordoned off and the search for the border trespassers started. The smuggler dropped the package and rushed back into Iran, taking advantage of the darkness and thick shrubs and reeds in the vicinity, ignoring the border guard’s “stop” command and warning shot.

As a result of the search measures carried out in the area, drug-like substances (1 kg 335 g opium and 3 kg 20 g marijuana) with a total weight of 4.3 kg were found and taken from a black package.

In the same vein, border guards on duty in the area of the border post located near Astara’s Hamusham village uncovered signs indicating a state border breach from Iran to Azerbaijan on July 8 at 1400. The area was sealed off, the border strip and control devices were inspected, and the border search began.

The suspicious behavior of three persons near Astara’s Diguli village drew the attention of the border guards while carrying out border search operations. Unknown individuals were captured while attempting to flee the area after disobeying the border guard's "stop" command.

During the inspection of two backpacks on them, over 6.6 kg of marijuana and 1,340 psychotropic methadone-40 pills were taken from Agstafa resident Musayev Famil (30), Baku resident Agalarov Mirali (30), as well as Fuzuli resident Aliyev Asar (24).

Furthermore, a driver of a car entered the border region to meet the persons in question and helped them in moving the contraband; Tovuz resident Mammadov Vugar (26) and his companion, Gobustan resident Nicat Dadakhan (28) were identified and detained near Diguli village.

On July 11, at 1315 hours, border guards discovered traces of the state border breach from Iran to Azerbaijan in the service area of the border post near Zangilan’s Vejnali village.

As a result of the border search and operational procedures, 8.9 kg of narcotic substances marijuana were taken from a white package hidden in the bushes.

Operational-investigative measures into the cases are underway.

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