The State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) has opened three new gas stations (GMS) operating under the “SOCAR” brand in Romania, Azernews reports.
Day: December 31, 2025
Over the past seven months, more than 5,000 people have been arrested and held accountable for drug-related criminal offenses, including up to 2,000 people involved in drug dealing, Deputy Georgian Dream Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze said at a December 31 briefing.
At the briefing, Darakhvelidze announced the latest drug-related case, in which, on December 30, an Iranian citizen was arrested for attempting to smuggle 157 kilograms of heroin into Georgia, valued at about GEL 50 million (about USD 18 million) on the local black market.
Darakhvelidze said the truck entered Georgia from a “neighboring country” via the Red Bridge, a border crossing with Azerbaijan, where police discovered heroin hidden in a special compartment in the trailer and concealed among marble slabs.
The investigation was launched under Articles 260 and 262 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which cover the illegal purchase and import of drugs and are punishable by up to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment.
“We continue the fight against drug crime around the clock,” he said. “We are paying particular attention to identifying drug dealers and ensuring they are punished with the full severity of the law.”
“Over the past seven months alone, the Interior Ministry has prevented dozens of attempts to bring narcotic drugs into the country and has seized several hundred kilograms of narcotics. In total, more than 5,000 people have been detained and held criminally accountable for drug-related crimes, including up to 2,000 individuals involved in drug dealing,” he concluded.
Georgian authorities this year have intensified anti-drug rhetoric and tightened drug policies. Among the unpopular moves were criminalizing the purchase and possession of more than five grams of marijuana and banning private entities from providing opioid replacement therapy or importing and wholesaling psychotropic substances. MIA has actively reported drug-related arrests throughout the year.
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