Georgian police detain 84 in nationwide drug operation

Georgia’s Central Criminal Police Department has detained 84 people on drug-related charges following a series of coordinated operations across the country, its director, Davit Kiknadze, said on Wednesday.

Kiknadze said law enforcement agencies seized “particularly large quantities” of narcotic and psychotropic substances, as well as firearms and ammunition during the operation. Those detained include both Georgian citizens and foreign nationals.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs said the arrests followed extensive operational measures and investigative actions conducted nationwide. Authorities also carried out covert investigative activities, authorised by court orders, which they said helped identify suspects allegedly involved in the systematic distribution of drugs using various methods.

Police reported conducting multiple controlled purchases of narcotics, accompanied by covert audio and video recordings, as part of efforts to gather evidence against those involved.

Searches of suspects’ homes, vehicles and other identified locations led to the seizure of a range of substances, including heroin, cocaine, methadone, buprenorphine and marijuana. Investigators also recovered materials believed to have been used for packaging drugs, along with cash suspected to be proceeds from illegal sales.

Officials said the operation also prevented an attempt to smuggle a large quantity of drugs into the country. At Tbilisi International Airport, officers detained a citizen of Ukraine, from whom more than 2,500 tablets containing buprenorphine were allegedly seized during a personal search.

The investigation is ongoing under multiple articles of Georgia’s criminal code related to drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms, offences that carry penalties of up to 20 years or life imprisonment.

Kiknadze said combating drug-related crime remained a key priority for the ministry, adding that law enforcement agencies will continue to apply the strictest measures permitted under the law against those involved.