I would like to inform the public on a large-scale police operation we conducted - as a result of police operations held in Tbilisi and the regions of the country this morning, we arrested 18 individuals exposed for drug-related crimes, some of whom are charged with selling drugs, while others for illegal purchase and storage of narcotic substances.
According to the obtained evidences it was established that the individuals arrested for selling narcotics, organized the illegal sale of narcotics on the regular basis - including placing drugs in various locations and sending relevant notifications to individuals interested in purchasing them; drugs were also sold through the so-called hand-to-hand transfers, or by means of other methods.
Base of the relevant Court decision, the police have repeatedly conducted an undercover drug purchases from individuals arrested on charges of illegal drug trafficking and made audio and video recordings depicting the process.
During the conducted personal searches and search activities held in residential places of those arrested on charges of drug trafficking, our officers seized large and especially large amounts of various types of narcotics as evidence.
As a result of the investigative actions, we’ve also seized, as evidence, narcotics illegally sold by the detainees, materials necessary for packaging narcotics, and cash allegedly obtained as a result of illegal drug trafficking.
The committed crime envisions up to 20 years or life imprisonment.
As you are aware, one of the most important priorities of our government is the fight against drug-related crime – which is confirmed by the recent legislative amendments adopted by the Parliament of Georgia, making the legal responsibility for drug trafficking tougher than before.
Therefore, we, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, will continue our uncompromising fight against the illegal circulation and distribution of drugs in the country and take strict measures defined by law against those accused of drug-related crimes.
