The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia on Wednesday announced it had arrested 27 individuals, including 15 drug dealers. The arrests include both Georgian and foreign citizens.
According to the Ministry, law enforcement officers seized a substantial quantity of various narcotics during the operation. Acting on judicial rulings, the police conducted several controlled drug purchases from the suspects, which were secretly recorded via audio and video surveillance.
During the searches of the suspects’ personal and residential properties, law enforcement officers confiscated a wide range of narcotics, including heroin, cocaine, buprenorphine, morphine, thebaine, codeine, methadone, alpha-PVP, mephedrone, clephedrone, methamphetamine, Lyrica, and marijuana. The police also seized large sums of money and electronic scales, which will be used as evidence in the ongoing investigation, the body said.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that these crimes are punishable by up to 20 years of imprisonment or life imprisonment.