The officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, together with the Prosecutor General’s Office detained 17 drug dealers in Tbilisi, Ponichala settlement and other regions of the country, as a result of a special intensive search operation and investigative activities carried out by the Special Tasks Department.

The officers of the Main Division for Combating Drug Trafficking under the Central Criminal Police Department arrested: formerly convicted T.P.(DoB 2000), I.M. (DoB1978), formerly convicted A.A. (DoB1952), formerly convicted Sh.P. (DoB 1987), formerly convicted and currently on probation- T.K.(DoB 1972), D.J.(DoB1996), formerly convicted A.P. (DoB1977), formerly convicted A.J. (DoB 1981), formerly convicted E.K. (DoB 1985), Sh.M. (DoB 1972), J.G. (DoB 1975) formerly convicted E.P.(DoB1986), E.A. (DoB 1997) T.P. (DoB 1980) and A.P. (DoB 2008).

The officers of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Police Department’s District Inspectors Division arrested formerly convicted for drug-related crime - R.R. (DoB1988) in Zugdidi.

G.L. (DoB 1993) was detained by the officers of Imereti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti Police Department in Tbilisi.

The detainees are accused of illegal purchase, storage and sale of drugs in especially large quantities.

The committed crime envisions from 8 to 20 years or lifetime imprisonment.

The investigation established that the accused persons sold drugs to citizens on the regular basis.

Law enforcers, on the basis of the relevant court decision, carried out several control purchases of “Heroin”, “Pregabalin”, “Suboxin” and “Alpha-PVP” and secretly audio and videotaped the process.

During the personal search of the detainees and search activities held in their residential places police seized various drugs in especially large quantities, and sums appropriated from drug dealing, namely 18 135 GEL and 1600 USD, as well as drugs ready for injection.

In addition to drug dealers, the officers of Gldani-Nadzaladevi Police Main Division under Tbilisi Police Department, Adjara Police Department and Shida Kartli Police Department, at various times, detained several individuals for illegal purchase and storage of drugs in especially large quantities. The detainees are: O.A. (DoB1983) ZZ, (DoB 1981) R.Ch. (DoB 1989) J.S. (DoB 2000) and E.G. (DoB 1989).

During the personal search and search activities held in detainees’ residential places and vehicles, the law enforcers seized various types of drugs as evidence, including 64 packages of “Alpha-PVP” drug from R.Ch. as evidence. As a result of Z.Z.’s personal search, the police seized 45 packages of heroin-containing drug substance.

Investigation is in progress under Article 260, I, III, IV, V and VI parts of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which stipulates illegal purchase, storage and sale of drugs in especially large quantities.