Georgian PM: drug availability reduced eightfold, fight against drug trafficking remains top priority

Drug accessibility in Georgia has decreased nearly eightfold both physically and financially, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Monday announced during a Government session, crediting the success to the efficient work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In his remarks, Kobakhidze noted that combating drug trafficking would remain one of the top priorities of his Government.

“The next issue I want to address relates to public safety - drugs, organised crime, and corruption. In this direction, the Georgian Government, and specifically the Ministry of Internal Affairs, worked very effectively over the past months”, the Government head said.

“Over the last three months, 156 individuals have been prosecuted on charges of drug trafficking. These are large-scale drug dealers who were arrested. In addition, 226 people were detained and prosecuted for possession of particularly large quantities of narcotics - an unprecedented figure”, Kobakhidze continued.

The PM further highlighted “alarming trends” in drug use and distribution, noting that decisive measures “were needed to reverse them”.

“The statistics presented today reflect these measures. As a result, drug availability has decreased about eightfold, both physically and financially, thanks to the effective efforts of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Unprecedented quantities of narcotics have been seized, including a case involving 298 kilograms of heroin. Just a few days ago, more than 34,500 methadone pills were confiscated - also an unprecedented amount. The fight against drugs will continue to remain one of our top priorities”, Kobakhidze concluded.