Customs officer arrested for bribery following undercover investigation

The Financial Ministry’s Investigative Service has arrested a customs officer at the Poti Free Industrial Zone of the State Revenue Service on charges of accepting a bribe, following a series of undercover operations.

According to investigators, the officer abused his official position by soliciting and receiving a payment of USD 1,000 in exchange for providing confidential information on competitor import companies stored in the service’s internal electronic databases.

The arrest followed court-authorized covert investigative measures, which produced audio and video evidence capturing the criminal activity. The officer was detained immediately after receiving the bribe, and the money was seized as evidence.

The case is being investigated under Article 338, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which carries a penalty of 6 to 9 years in prison.

The Investigative Service urged both public officials and individuals proposing illegal agreements to refrain from such actions, emphasizing that all incidents of this nature will be met with swift and strict enforcement.