Georgia's Interior Ministry arrests 27 for alleged drug crimes, including 15 dealers

Georgia's Interior Ministry on Wednesday said law enforcement officers had arrested 27 Georgian and foreign individuals for alleged drug crimes, including 15 for dealing.

The body said officers had seized “large and particularly large” amounts of drugs after purchasing some from the alleged offenders during a covert action and recording the process.

The arrested individuals have been charged with illegal sale, attempted illegal sale, illegal import and export of drugs, illegal purchase and storage of drugs and marijuana, illegal planting, and growing and cultivation of plants containing narcotic drugs, with some of the alleged offenders having criminal records, it added.

The seized substances include heroin, cocaine, buprenorphine, morphine, thebaine, codeine, methadone, alpha-PVP, mephedrone, clephedrone, methamphetamine, lyrica and marijuana, recovered from the arrested individuals’ houses and during personal search, along with electronic scales and a “large amount of money” allegedly obtained from sale of the drugs.

The crimes are punishable up to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment.