Officers from the Batumi City Division of the Police Department of Adjara, in conjunction with the Customs Department of the Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance, have apprehended a Turkish citizen, identified as M.T., born in 2001, on suspicion of unlawfully acquiring and possessing a substantial quantity of psychotropic substances, as well as illegally smuggling them into Georgia.

According to the law enforcement agency, the offence carries a potential penalty of up to 13 years in prison.

“During a search of the suspect’s hand luggage at Batumi International Airport, law enforcement officers recovered 212 pills containing a significant amount of the psychotropic substance Pregabalin, which are being held as evidence. M.T. has been taken into police custody as a suspect.

The investigation into the illegal procurement, possession, and smuggling of this notably large quantity of psychotropic drugs into Georgia is ongoing, under the provisions of Articles 261 and 263 of the Criminal Code,” the statement reads.