Five arrested in Georgia over large-scale drug trafficking

Five people, including two foreign nationals, have been arrested in Georgia’s Imereti region on suspicion of illegally acquiring and possessing particularly large quantities of drugs and facilitating their sale as part of a pre-arranged group, the Interior Ministry said on Monday.

Police seized large quantities of various drugs allegedly prepared for distribution during searches of the suspects, their temporary residences, a vehicle and locations identified by the accused.

The seized substances included 150 grams of cocaine, 111 methadone tablets and 119 packages of methadone.

Investigators also seized materials used for packaging narcotics for distribution.

The charges carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment.