Three people, including a foreign national, are charged with illicit trafficking, storing, and promoting sale of large quantities of drugs. A criminal case was initiated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is considered to be a particularly large drug deal, not just drug use.
As investigators say, defendants received and stored illegitimately enormous amounts of Methadone and Marijuana and the psychotropic Pregabalin. The substances were captured by agents of the Central Criminal Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Materials for drug testing were also confiscated from defendants’ homes, which were alleged to be used for the illegal sale of drugs, a factor which does significantly influence the court’s decision.
The drug can be used in various clinical contexts treating pain, being a part of programs that treat addiction to opioids. In illicit circumstances, on the other hand, it is a heavily controlled narcotic with extremely harsh punishment for sale and possession. Marijuana, which has been at the centre of public debate in Georgia since the Constitutional Court’s 2018 decision on the decriminalisation of personal use, is still a criminal offense for sale and sale in excessive quantities. Pregabalin – a drug prescribed for nerve pain, epilepsy and anxiety is a psychotropic substance in Georgia and is subjected to strict regulations.
Georgian law is between possession for own use and trafficking. A charge of significantly larger quantities, in conjunction with promoting their illegal sale, is classified as some of the most serious drug offences in the Criminal Code. Anyone convicted on such a charge can expect a severe prison sentence, which in the most serious cases can be double digits. The prosecutors indicate the suspicion that they can substantiate that the accused intended to use the drugs for sales, not just possession, by charging up in the promotion of unlawful realisation.
A foreign national is among the defendants, setting an international element to the case. Officials have refused to confirm the individual’s nationality or say if the gang had regional links, but non-resident members can bring more attention to trafficking routes and links to other networks. Georgia’s position on regional transit routes has made it a point of working with foreign law enforcement on drug crime.
Georgian authorities, the Ministry of Internal Affairs often announces campaigns against distribution networks and officials have said that these efforts are necessary to safeguard public health, particularly among young people. Prescription drugs such as Pregabalin are part of a focus on identifying and monitoring pharmaceuticals that can end up trafficked in illegal markets.
Once indicted, the case will now proceed to a court, which will review the evidence and set a trial date. As with all criminal cases in Georgia, the accused are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in court. The trial will likely reveal more details about how the items were acquired, the defendants proposed methods of selling the drugs and the three defendants’ respective roles.
The Prosecutor’s Office has yet to say if it believes it might find more suspects as the investigation progresses. For now, the indictment is a significant step forward in a case that speaks to the ongoing role of Georgian law enforcement in breaking the illegal drug industry and bringing those accused to justice.
