Border guards seize over 316 kg of drugs, detain 41 border trespassers in May

By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

The Azerbaijani State Border Service seized over 316.2 kg of drugs and some 8,010 psychotropic pills in May, Azernews reports, citing the service.

The State Border Service maintained its efforts to ensure reliable border protection and combat smuggling, illegal migration, and drug trafficking.

Border guards were forced to use guns in line with the law against drug traffickers on one occasion, and one AKM-74 submachine gun, abandoned by drug traffickers, was seized.

Smuggled products worth AZN15.8 million ($9.2 million), including tobacco, wine, and antiquities, were confiscated as part of the anti-smuggling campaign.

The service further added that over the said period, 41 people were detained for illegally crossing the state border, 27 of them were citizens of Azerbaijan, two Iran, two Ukraine, one India, one Uzbekistan, two Tajikistan, two Morocco, two Pakistan, one Ivory Coast (Cotte d'Ivoire) and one Lithuania.

In an effort to combat illegal migration, 25 people were detained in 23 cases after attempting to cross the state border with forged passports of the EU member states, permanent residence cards, ID cards, and Schengen visas.

Some 123 people were detained in 85 cases for violating the rules of the border regime and appropriate measures were taken against them.

As a result of anti-crime measures, 230 people wanted by the law-enforcement agencies were detained and handed over to the relevant authorities. Some 357 people who were barred from leaving Azerbaijan were unable to leave, and 27 people, who were previously barred from entering the country, were denied entry.

Measures are being taken to organize reliable protection of the state borders, the report concluded.