Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 1
By Maksim Tsurkov - Trend:
A truck with a large batch of drugs from Azerbaijan did not enter the territory of Georgia, the head of the Investigation Department of the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee Ulvi Zulfuqarov told AzTv TV channel.
He said that the Georgian Interior Ministry spread the information about seizing a truck with 2.8 metric tons of liquid heroin in July 2014, which allegedly entered the territory of Georgia from Azerbaijan.
"As a result of proceedings, initiated by the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee, it was revealed that the vehicle with drugs did not enter the territory of Georgia from Azerbaijan," he said. "Georgia's truck was seized in the Batimu customs clearance zone on July 11, 2014."
Zulfuqarov said that the vehicle transported the cargo of the Turkish company operating in Georgia and was intended to be transported to Moldova.
"Two citizens of Georgia Guram Tsetskhladze and Yevgeny Gorgadze, driving the truck, as well as Turkish citizen Shefik Semizoglu, who is the head of the customer-company, were detained," he said. "The investigation revealed that Tsetskhladze and Semizoglu have never crossed the border of Azerbaijan. But the third suspect Gorgadze was in the territory of Azerbaijan earlier."
Zulfuqarov said that this incident was investigated.
"As a result, it was revealed that Gorgadze entered the territory of Azerbaijan from Iran through the Astara border checkpoint on June 24, 2014 by driving a Mercedes Benz car with the Turkish registration plate," he said. "Some cargo consisting of liquid soap was intended for shipment in Azerbaijan and other part - in Georgia."
Zulfuqarov said that the vehicle and goods were suspicious due to the route.
"The truck was thoroughly checked in Baku," he said. "As a result, no violations were found. Moreover, after a batch with liquid heroin was seized in Georgia, the cargo was examined. No violations were revealed."
Zulfuqarov said that a vehicle with cargo reached "Siniq Korpu" customs post in the Tovuz district on June 29.
"The truck was thoroughly supervised by the customs bodies of Azerbaijan from the moment of its entering the territory of Azerbaijan till its leaving," he said. "Moreover, while crossing the border, Georgia's customs bodies inspected the cargo. No violations were revealed."
He said that another vehicle driven by Gorgadze was detained by the customs bodies in a week.
"A large batch with liquid heroin was revealed in the DAF truck with the Georgian registration plate," he said. "Thus, the car moving through Azerbaijan and the car seized in Batumi are different vehicles. So, the information about the vehicle loaded with drugs passing through the territory Azerbaijan is groundless."
---
follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov