Georgia’s Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri reported to the country’s Parliament on Tuesday within the Minister’s Hour format.

The Minister elaborated on his agency’s achievements and objectives, highlighting the plan of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) to purchase three multi-purpose helicopters from the French company Airbus Helicopters that would perform police, transport, search and rescue operations.

Below are the main takeaways of Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri’s address to the Georgian lawmakers;

The efficient work resulted in a 62% increase in the crime-solving rate in 2022, a 12% increase from the previous year.
Crime dynamics in 2022 are shown to be lower than last year, according to Gomelauri.
The police apprehended 202 drug dealers last year, the most in past years. 62 individuals involved in the internet drug trade were also detained, and 12 online drug stores were shut down.
He highlighted the recent trend of fewer traffic accidents, saying the number of road accidents resulting in physical injury decreased by 394 in 2022.
In 2022, MIA apprehended 307 people on the wanted list, including 37 criminals on the Interpol red notice.
Georgian police attachés are stationed in 16 states, serving a total of 24 states. Eight large-scale joint police operations were conducted in several European countries, with the direct participation of police attachés, during which 45 people, including criminal leaders, were detained.
According to Gomelauri, the Ministry is continuing to effectively interact with international organisations and partner nations on Euro-Atlantic integration, the development of international legal cooperation, and donor coordination.
The minister also reviewed the coast guard’s achievements, emphasising NATO’s recognition of Georgia as an operational partner as the most significant success.
With the active collaboration of the UN Women’s Office and a group of international experts, the risk assessment instrument was updated to ensure the safety of victims of domestic abuse and violence against women, as well as to prevent recurrent violence.
Georgia was able to maintain peace and stability, as well as strengthen state institutions and implement various reforms and projects outlined in the government’s plan.
There was an expansion of the patrol police operational area in 2022, as well as an increase in the number of patrol crews in Imereti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, and Kakheti.
In the second phase of the community-oriented policing strategy, the Ministry would ensure the presence of public order police in all major cities throughout the country. Police have already been deployed in Tbilisi and Rustavi.
Last year, the emergency management agency received new vehicles of various types, and the technological renewal and rearmament process will continue this year.
The first phase of criminal police reform was completed in 2022, resulting in the separation of tactical, investigative, and prevention directions.
The Ministry’s expert-criminological department accredited a total of eight laboratories in Tbilisi and regions under international standards.

At the end of his speech, Gomelauri thanked the international partners and police officers, border guards, firefighters, and all MIA employees for their dedicated work.