Georgian Deputy Interior Minister: 42 arrested on drug charges Nationwide, majority major traffickers

Georgian Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze on Friday said police conducted a nationwide operation over the past 24 hours, detaining 42 individuals on drug-related charges, the majority of whom were alleged to be major traffickers.

Others face accusations of illegal possession of particularly large quantities of narcotics, the body added.

Darakhvelidze said the arrests were carried out by the Ministry in cooperation with the Prosecutor General’s Office, following joint operational, investigative, and procedural activities in the capital city of Tbilisi and the regions. The detainees include both Georgian and foreign nationals.

Court-authorised covert surveillance, including audio and video recordings, confirmed that most of those arrested were involved in organised drug distribution schemes. According to investigators, traffickers used internet applications to place drugs in designated locations and then sent details to buyers. Other distribution methods were also identified.

Police seized significant quantities of narcotics intended for sale on the black market, including heroin, cocaine, alpha-PVP, buprenorphine, Suboxone, methadone, ketamine, mephedrone, MDMA, marijuana, and other substances.

The offenses carry penalties of up to 20 years or life imprisonment.

Darakhvelidze stressed that the Ministry remained committed to protecting society from the harmful impact of drugs and dismantling criminal networks.

He also provided an update on the September 8–9 incident on Melikishvili Avenue in Tbilisi, where three individuals had been detained. According to Darakhvelidze, the alleged victims did not cooperate with investigators, making it impossible to pursue charges of group violence against two suspects, who have since been released.

Regarding the third detainee, accused of property damage, Darakhvelidze noted that the Prosecutor General’s Office had requested bail as a preventive measure, and the individual is expected to be released from custody within hours.