Baku. Ramiz Mikayiloglu-APA. 172 drug-related cases were revealed as a result of measures taken by Azerbaijan’s customs authorities (as well as other law enforcement authorities) in the first nine months of 2015 to prevent drug smuggling to the country, says the report submitted by the Main Department for Customs Violations of the State Customs Committee to the State Commission on Fight against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking.
As result of the measures, a total of over 86 kg 372 grams of drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, including 5 kg 239 grams of opium, 42 kg 086 grams of marihuana, 29 kg 518 grams of cannabis, 7 kg 870 grams of heroin, 224 grams of methadone, 2 kg 272 grams of cocaine, 89 kg 161 grams of methamphetamine, 60 tablets and 1 kg 935 grams of alprazolam, 46 grams of phenobarbital, 10 kg 14 grams of clonazepam, 1 kg 282 grams of potassium permanganate and others were withdrawn from circulation. 207 people, including 180 men, 27 women were detained. Appropriate measures were taken against the detainees including 176 Azerbaijani citizens and 31 foreigners (27 Iranian, 3 Ukrainian, one Russian), and crime groups were revealed in 28 cases. Drug trafficking was prevented from Iran in 157 cases, from Georgia in 4 cases, Russia in 3 cases, Ukraine in 2 cases, the UK in 1 case, the Netherlands in 1 case and Turkey in 1 case. The drug smugglers have used different methods to carry the drugs. During the period, attempts to carry drugs inside body cavities (stomach, rectum, etc.) in 62 cases were prevented.