676 detained in four months for drug crimes in Georgia
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, May 8
676 individuals have been detained for drug crimes in Georgia over the past four months. Fifty-five are responsible for dealing drugs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has reported.
The ministry says that starting from January 1, 2019, police have seized:
13 kg of heroin.
1,530 pills Subutex and Suboxone.
2,400 pills of ecstasy.
More than 5 kilograms of psychoactive substances.
1.4 kg of cocaine.
350 grams of psychotropic substances.
The most recent case, when police detained drug traffickers, took place this week when seven were charged with drug dealing.
Four of the seven were from one family: mother, father and two children, with one telling the lawyer that the police planted drugs on him.
Drug trafficking is punishable in Georgia by eight to 20 years in prison or the life sentence.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs burnt more than one tonne of drugs seized as part of the investigation process last year, costing 14 million GEL.
The narcotic substances which have been seized during 750 cases as evidence included more than two kilograms of heroin, 60 kilograms of amphetamine, 2061 pills of Subutex, 816 pills of MDMA and 189 pills of methadone.
The opposition says that the current Interior Ministry fails to cope with problems, while the ministry points at “systemic changes” and “improved statistical info.”
