A total of 1,417 people were arrested in Georgia on drug-related charges over the past two months, according to Georgian Dream Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, who noted that a “significant number” of those arrested were drug dealers.
“The Ministry of Internal Affairs continues its uncompromising fight against the illegal circulation and spread of drugs,” Darakhvelidze said at an August 22 briefing, where he also announced that 44 people, both Georgian citizens and foreigners, were arrested on serious drug charges in the latest nationwide police operation.
According to Darakhvelidze, those recently arrested face criminal charges for selling narcotics, as well as for preparing, attempting or assisting in the sale, and for importing, purchasing or storing large quantities of drugs in Georgia. He said police seized “a particularly large quantity of several types of narcotics.”
Georgian authorities in recent months have intensified anti-drug rhetoric and tightened drug policies. At the end of its spring session, the Georgian Dream parliament criminalized the purchase and possession of more than five grams of marijuana. In a separate move, GD lawmakers also banned private entities from providing opioid replacement therapy and prohibited them from importing or wholesaling psychotropic substances.
Hundreds of people have been rounded up by police for drug tests across the country in recent months. The Interior Ministry said the checks were random, rejecting claims they targeted anti-government protesters and opposition members.
