Azernews.Az

By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijan’s State Border Service (SBS) Chief Elchin Guliyev has said that the border guards seized over 3 tons of drugs in 2021, the service has reported.

Guliyev made the remarks during a meeting dedicated to the results of 2021.

He stressed that the smuggling of 3,057 kilograms of drugs, contraband worth AZN 131 million ($77 million) across the state border was prevented, as well as over 15 tons of narcotic plants were destroyed in 2021.

Guliyev underlined that the liberated 132-km part of the Azerbaijani-Iranian state border was taken under control by the Azerbaijani border guards and that as a result of the restoration of border protection infrastructure in this direction, drug trafficking through these territories was severely hampered during the reported period.

In 2021, 456 people were detained for illegally crossing the state border and 4,545 people were detained for violating the border regime. Furthermore, Guliyev stated that 2,154 wanted persons, 227 people with fake documents, four people with other people's documents, and three people were detained while attempting to cross the border secretly.

Three people were injured and five border violators were killed as a result of border guards using weapons against border violators in accordance with the instructions, he added.

Five people suspected of having links with foreign special services and one person involved in secret intelligence-disruptive activities against Azerbaijan were identified.

Six people who fought in foreign conflict zones were detained, 11 more were identified, 15 drug traffickers, five smugglers were neutralized, 71 border, as well as 41 regime violators, and 11 illegal migrants were detained as part of the fight against terrorism.

Furthermore, Guliyev stated that demarcation works on the Azerbaijan-Russia state border were continuing, with 178 border signs installed so far.

In accordance with Azerbaijan's maritime security strategy to protect offshore oil and gas infrastructure, the SBS Coast Guard border patrol vessels' submarine protection capabilities were strengthened, ship management professionalism was improved, and drug smugglers were effectively combated, he added.

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