Border guards detain Iranian drug smugglers at sea

A group supplying drugs from Iran to Azerbaijan has been uncovered, the State Border Guard Service and the General Prosecutor's Office said in a joint press release.

According to the press release, on 24 June around 23:00 Iranian citizens Nuri Abruntan (born in 1983), Bahman Kaseb (born in 1984) and Aunag Abdulrahim (born in 1984), travelling on boats in the direction of Sumgayit city and Yashma settlement, disobeyed the order of border guards to stop, dumped their cargo into the sea and tried to escape. As a result of the pursuit, the offenders were detained.

In addition, as a result of operative measures carried out at the same time, two citizens of Azerbaijan - Elkhan Aliyev (born in 1982) and Esmira Mammadova (born in 1976), who aroused suspicion of the border guards by signalling their whereabouts with lanterns while standing on the shore, were detained in the territory of Yashma settlement.

During the continued operation near Novkhani settlement in Binagadi district, 4 bags with cannabis weighing about 165 kilograms were found and seized, which were smuggled into Azerbaijan by the above-mentioned Iranian citizens.

Criminal cases 206.3.2 (smuggling by prior conspiracy of a group of persons), 234.4-1 (drug trafficking on a large scale) and 318.2 (illegal crossing of the state border) of the Criminal Code were opened on the facts.

By court decision, the detainees were remanded in custody. 

Aunag Abdulrahim, who was wounded during the pursuit, has been admitted to hospital and is under special surveillance by border guards.