Georgian police arrest man on major methadone trafficking charges

Georgia’s Interior Ministry on Thursday said police have arrested a previously convicted man on charges related to the illegal purchase, possession and facilitation of the sale of a particularly large quantity of narcotics.

According to the ministry, officers from the Imereti Police Department detained the suspect, identified as N.M., born in 1974, during an operation in western Georgia.

Police said searches of the suspect’s person and temporary residence led to the seizure of a particularly large quantity of the narcotic substance methadone, allegedly prepared for distribution.

Investigators also confiscated materials believed to have been intended for packaging narcotics, the ministry added.

The crime carries penalties ranging from up to 20 years in prison to life imprisonment.