Foreign citizen arrested at Tbilisi airport over smuggling 20 kg of marijuana

Georgian authorities have arrested a foreign national at Tbilisi International Airport on suspicion of attempting to smuggle nearly 20 kilograms of marijuana into the country.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs announced on Monday that officers from its Central Criminal Police Department, in cooperation with the Revenue Service’s Customs Department, had detained the suspect - identified as 36-year-old I.S. - during a joint operation and investigative actions.

Police said they had discovered 19.4 kilograms of marijuana packed in 34 separate parcels hidden in the suspect’s luggage during a customs inspection.

The individual has been charged with illegal purchase and possession of a particularly large quantity of narcotics, as well as the illegal import of a particularly large quantity of narcotics into Georgia.

If convicted, the offence carries a sentence of up to 20 years or life imprisonment under Georgia’s Criminal Code.