Iranian nationals detained in Caspian Sea drug smuggling attempt

Members of an organized smuggling group attempting to bring a large quantity of drugs into Azerbaijan via the Caspian Sea have been detained, Azernews reports. The information was provided in a joint statement by the State Border Service and the Prosecutor General's Office.

According to the statement, on September 4 at 00:25, border patrols detected an unidentified vessel moving rapidly within Azerbaijan’s territorial waters, heading toward the Neftchala district. Border forces immediately initiated a pursuit operation and took measures to secure the coastline.

During the pursuit, the border vessel issued a “Stop” command using light and sound signals and fired a warning shot. When the violators attempted to flee Azerbaijan’s territorial waters, shots were fired at the engine of the vessel to enforce detention.

During the incident, the two individuals jumped into the sea with the packages after a fire broke out on their boat. Thanks to rapid rescue efforts, both were removed from the water and received first aid, while the fire aboard the “Yamaha-200” Liner-type boat was extinguished. Authorities recovered a total of 11 kilograms 850 grams of narcotics from the package thrown into the sea.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the detained individuals are Iranian citizens: Gulreza Javad Alireza, born in 1994, and Bordbar Milad Mansur, born in 1996.

A criminal case was launched on September 4, 2025, under Articles 206.3.2, 234.4.1, 234.4.3, and 318.2 of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code. Joint investigative and operational-search measures are ongoing in collaboration with the Prosecutor General’s Office.