112, including foreign nationals, arrested in Tbilisi, regions, for drug crimes

The Central Criminal Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia on Wednesday announced the arrest of 112 individuals across Tbilisi and regions, including foreign citizens, with 66 identified as drug dealers.

Teimuraz Kupatadze, the chair of the agency,  revealed the arrests were the result of “meticulous investigations” and controlled purchases of narcotics. The law enforcement, authorized by judicial warrants, conducted covert operations that involved purchasing drugs from suspects charged with illegal possession. These transactions were also documented through secret audio-video recordings, he said. 

The arrests were carried out in Tbilisi, Adjara, Shida Kartli, Kakheti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti and Imereti, and the detainees represented a diverse range of nationalities, including citizens of Georgia, the United States, Turkey, Ukraine, India, Iran, Russia, Jordan, Egypt, and Eritrea.

The charges brought against the suspects carry severe penalties, with potential sentences of up to 20 years or even life imprisonment, Kupatadze stressed. 

Highlighting the commitment of the Ministry to combat drug-related crimes, Kupatadze emphasized since the beginning of the year, a total of 282 drug dealers have been apprehended throughout the country.

He noted the law enforcement agencies had seized 84 kilograms of heroin, 20 kilograms of Alpha PVP, 9,500 pills of Subutex and Suboxone, 2.5 kilograms of cocaine, 4 kilograms of Mephedrone, 2.5 kilograms of Mdma, 304 kilograms of marijuana, up to 4 tons of cannabis, 13 kilograms of various psychotropic drugs, and 3 kilograms of new psychoactive substances.