Azerbaijan reveals organized group engaged in illicit medicines trade

Azerbaijan reveals organized group engaged in illicit medicines trade
# 07 May 2018 16:44 (UTC +04:00)

In a joint operation, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office, the State Security Service and the State Customs Committee have revealed an organized group engaged in an illicit trade in medicines.

As a result of an inspection of Anar Mammadov’s house 53 different kinds of unregistered, illegal medicines worth AZN 108,819 were found. The detainee is reported to have transported the illegal medications on a truck from Baku Cargo Terminal at the Baku International Airport.

In Yasamal district, health ministry officials raised “Zeytun” pharmacy, owned by Anar Mammadov. As a result, 75 different kinds of unregistered medicines of unknown sources were found. In subsequent inspections, a variety of other registered medications were found in the "Irem", "Glucose", "Avas", "Fatima" pharmacies in Yasamal district, "Zeytun", "Medical City", "Elit", "Vahid", “Dokta Elite” pharmacies in Nasimi district, “Shafa”, “Shafa Zeytun 426” and “Tabib” pharmacies in Narimanov district.

Preliminary investigation revealed that foreign citizen Atesh Atanur and Azerbaijani citizen Anar Mammadov had regularly organized illegal import of medicines into the country for sale purposes since 2016. Officials of the State Customs Committee's Department of Medical Services had provided the unregistered import and withdrawal of medicines from customs control, directly delivering it to the individuals engaged in medicine trade in return for 25% value of the total value of the loads.

Under the preliminary evidence collected by the State Security Service, Farman Mammadli, Vasif Khidirov, Jamil Mehtiyev, Atesh Atanur, Anar Mammadov, Alamet Guliyev face charges under articles 200-1.2.2, 200-1.2.3 (illegal drug trafficking), 206.3.2, 206.3.3 (smuggling) and 314.2 (negligence) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. They were arrested.

Head of the Main Customs Directorate for Air Transport Sadig Abduyev, Head of the Medical Service Department Fikrat Gadimaliyev and other official Araz Mammadov were removed from their duties.

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THE OPERATION IS BEING PERFORMED