Drugs are smuggled into Azerbaijan from Afghanistan via Iran – Customs general

Report presents an interview with the head of the Main Directorate of Operational Investigation Activities of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan (SCC), Major General of the Customs Service Masum Rasulov:

- What methods does the State Customs Committee apply in fighting against drug trafficking?

- Azerbaijan’s customs authorities regularly carry out necessary operational and search measures to prevent customs offenses, including illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and their precursors, as well as identify and prosecute persons involved in preparing and committing crimes of this kind, with identification of risk indicators and through appropriate analysis. The customs control is carried out using technical control means and the involvement of dogs from the canine service.

- What countries and international organizations do you cooperate in this area?

- Due to the fact that drug smuggling crimes are of a transnational organized nature and are committed on territories of several countries, cooperation of various countries, international and regional organizations in fighting this scourge is pivotal. For this reason, the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee attaches particular importance to international cooperation and works towards further strengthening cooperation in this sphere.

In this direction, we cooperate with the Committee of the Heads of Law Enforcement Divisions of the Council of Heads of the CIS Customs Services, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the World Customs Organization (WCO), GUAM, the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Center, the Turkish Ministry of Trade, the Anti-Narcotics Administration under the US Department of Justice, the Federal Customs Service of Russia, the State Customs Service of Ukraine and a number of other international organizations and relevant competent government agencies of foreign countries, exchange information and experience and hold working meetings.

Examples of this collaboration include collaboration under the Global Container Traffic Control Program, a joint project of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the WTO, Regional Law Enforcement Points of Contact (RILO), and bilateral collaboration.

The State Customs Committee also operates through the channels of international exchange of protected information. Thus, the exchange of information was ensured thanks to activities within the framework of the CEN systems (Central Law Enforcement Network of the WCO), the Containercomm of the Global Program for the Control of Global Container Traffic, the RILO CIS Operational Platform (Operational Platform of the Regional Network for CIS Countries) and PICS (Information Exchange System on Facts detection of illegal traffic in narcotic drugs and precursors of psychotropic substances).

- What successes have the Azerbaijani customs agency achieved in fighting drug trafficking in January-September this year?

- As a result of measures taken, 35 cases of illegal circulation of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances were revealed.

In total, according to these cases, 1,648.104 kg of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances were withdrawn from the illegal turnover. Of these, 903 kg 454 grams are heroin, 505 kg 593 grams are opium, 44 kg 646 grams are hashish, 194 kg 115 grams are methamphetamine and other substances.

Over this time, appropriate measures were taken against 37 suspects in drug trafficking (36 men and 1 woman), of whom 16 are citizens of Azerbaijan and 21 are foreigners (9 citizens of Iran, 8 of Turkey, 3 of Russia, 1 of Ukraine), and in 3 cases narcotic groups were identified.

- From which countries are drugs mainly imported into Azerbaijan and what are the routes?

- Afghanistan is one of the main drugs producing countries, and Iran borders both Afghanistan and Azerbaijan, therefore drugs are traditionally smuggled in from that country into Iran and then into Azerbaijan. Taking into account the geographical location of our country, drug traffickers try to smuggle drugs into European countries along the Balkan route by transit through Azerbaijan.

In 2021, 22 attempts to transit narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances from Iran through the territory of Azerbaijan were prevented. In 12 cases, customs officers identified and seized large amounts of narcotic drugs (1 ton 629 kg 555 grams of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances) and seized from illegal circulation.

- The president has repeatedly said in his speeches that, being under occupation, the Azerbaijani lands were used for the transit of drugs. Today those lands have been liberated from occupation. Considering that it is planned to open another customs checkpoint with Iran, the responsibility entrusted to you will increase even more. How will you organize your activities?

- To combat offenses in the customs sphere on the lands liberated from the occupation, to prevent the illegal transportation of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, other prohibited goods across the customs border, to carry out customs control in the territory of Gubadli District, a customs post Gubadli under the Southern Territorial Main customs office has been set up. In accordance with the directions of the activities of the Main Operational Investigation Department in this territory, employees of the structural divisions of the Main Directorate are regularly dispatched to the newly-created customs post, ensuring the implementation of relevant tasks.

- What innovative technologies does your department use?

- As part of the Main Directorate for the identification of risk situations related to offenses, routes, cargo in the customs sphere, including illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, there is a Target Setting Center, thanks to which efforts to import large quantities of narcotic drugs into the country are prevented.

The center uses video surveillance systems, X-ray machines, and GPS monitoring, which are effective control methods. Along with this, a risk management method is applied, based on the analysis of the collection of data contained mainly on electronic resources. For this purpose, programs for visualization and analysis of databases are applied. Therefore, using modern approaches and translating the workflow into electronic format as much as possible allows for more efficient use of resources.