Georgian Interior Minister: Ministry has quite ambitious plans regarding drug policy

Georgian Interior Minister Geka Geladze on Monday responded to the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s statement that drug accessibility in Georgia has decreased nearly eightfold both physically and financially, by saying that the Interior Ministry had quite ambitious plans in this direction and the implementation process had already begun.

In his remarks, Geladze noted that there would be changes regarding checkpoints, airports, and terminals.

“[Eightfold reduction in drug availability] is the result of the correct drug policy, legislative initiatives and right police measures that the Prime Minister announced today. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has quite ambitious plans in this direction and the implementation process has already begun. This is in the direction of checkpoints, airports and terminals, and we will have a lot of news in a few months. This statistic will definitely decrease too”, he said.

Over the last three months, 156 individuals have been prosecuted on charges of drug trafficking. 226 people were detained and prosecuted for possession of particularly large quantities of narcotics - an unprecedented figure.

Unprecedented quantities of narcotics have been seized, including 298 kilograms of heroin and 34,500 methadone pills.