Azerbaijan, Baku, March 13 / Trend , K. Zarbaliyeva/
The Azerbaijani State Border Service (SBS) stopped a large consignment of drugs at the Iranian border. A group was arrested after attempting to bring 2,500 grams of drugs into the country, the SBS reported.
Azerbaijani citizen Elshan Ganjaliyev was detained on Feb. 28 while attempting to smuggle 513 grams of heroin, 1,000 grams of opium and 935.55 grams of marijuana into the country.
Ganjaliyev planned to meet Elshan Mammadov at a cemetery between the Ikinji Shahsevan and Garadaghli villages in Beylagan. SBS officers detained Mammadov and Vugar Abdullayev on route to the cemetery.
A lawsuit has been filed in the case.
According to the Interior Ministry, 651 kilograms of drugs were seized during the same period in 2008.
About 394 drugs smuggling crimes were registered in 2008, or 39.2 percent more than in 2007.
A total of 312 individuals were held accountable.
The U.S. State Department recently issued a report stating that the number of drug users is increasing in Azerbaijan.
The report said drugs are transited from Azerbaijan via the Caspian Sea and Iran to Asia.
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