Drug traffickers mostly use Meghri border section for smuggling, says Armenian internal affairs minister

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 15, ARMENPRESS. Stronger anti-drug trafficking measures have led to an average of 46,6% increase in drug busts in the past five years, Minister of Internal Affairs Vahe Ghazaryan told lawmakers in parliament on Tuesday.

Ghazaryan was speaking at a hearing on 2019-2024 Crime Rate and Results of Reforms.

“In the reporting period, from the total 1 ton and 220 kilos of narcotics seized, only 62 kilos seized in 2023-2024 was synthetic, from which 24 kilos was seized by police,” he said, adding that “large quantity of narcotics is smuggled into the country from the neighboring countries and especially through the Meghri border section, where the police have limited powers.”

The Minister warned that drug traffickers have begun utilizing internet to sell narcotics. “From 2021 to 2023 a total of 631 cases of online drug trafficking were discovered, 173 of which were cases of selling, while 458 of buying. In the past five years, nearly 120 internet platforms engaged in drug trafficking were blocked, and a clandestine drug lab was found, which is a unique case over the past ten years,” Ghazaryan said.

Ghazaryan said drug trafficking is a transnational crime and the drug busts are directly associated with high professional capacity and technological equipment. A systematic work is underway to develop the capacities, he said.

He said that a specialized division has been launched in the criminal police department dealing with online drug trafficking cases.