Two arrested in western Georgia for large-scale smuggling, possession of psychotropic substances

Officers from the Imereti Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Georgia’s west, together with staff from the Customs Department of the Revenue Service under the Ministry of Finance, have arrested two individuals on charges of illegally acquiring, possessing and importing a particularly large quantity of psychotropic substances into Georgia.

The Ministry said on Sunday the suspects are a 51-year-old man, identified as Sh.K., and a 50-year-old previously convicted man, identified as R.M. The arrests were carried out at different times.

During inspections of the suspects’ hand luggage at Kutaisi International Airport, law enforcement officers seized tablets containing the psychotropic substance pregabalin as material evidence. The quantity seized is classified as particularly large.

The crime is punishable by up to 12 years’ imprisonment.