Georgian police detain 88 individuals on drug-related charges, seize large quantities of various narcotics

Law enforcement officers have arrested 88 individuals on drug-related charges and seized exceptionally large quantities of various narcotic substances, the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs announced on Thursday at a briefing.

Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Aleksandre Darakhvelidze noted that the Ministry continues its uncompromising fight to identify individuals involved in drug-related criminal schemes and hold them criminally accountable.

“Over the past 24 hours alone, as a result of intensive police operations carried out in Tbilisi and across the regions, an unprecedented number - 88 drug dealers and individuals involved in drug-related crimes - have been detained. Particularly large quantities of various narcotic and psychotropic substances have been seized, along with firearms and automatic weapons, as well as money allegedly obtained through the illegal sale of drugs. Those detained include both Georgian citizens and foreign nationals”, the Deputy Minister said.

“Based on evidence obtained through intensive investigative actions carried out by law enforcement, it has been established that the detained drug dealers were systematically selling narcotic substances to citizens. On the basis of court warrants, police conducted controlled drug purchases, as well as searches of suspects’ persons, vehicles, and residential premises. Police seized particularly large quantities of drugs, including cocaine, heroin, alpha-PVP, buprenorphine, methadone, morphine, MDMA, and dried marijuana. Materials used for packaging narcotic substances were also confiscated as evidence”, he continued.

The offences provide for penalties of up to 20 years or life imprisonment.

The Ministry also noted that as a result of ongoing efforts to combat drug-related crime, more than 5,000 individuals have been arrested and prosecuted nationwide for drug offenses over the past seven months of 2025, including up to 2,000 persons involved in drug trafficking.