Police arrest four in Batumi drug bust as police seize large quantities of narcotics

Officers from the Ajara Main Division of the Central Criminal Police Department, under the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), have arrested four individuals in Batumi in connection with drug offences following a series of police operations.

The suspects, comprising three foreign nationals and one Georgian citizen, have been charged with the illegal purchase, possession, and facilitation of the sale of large and particularly large quantities of narcotics, as well as the illegal sowing, cultivation, and harvesting of plants containing narcotic substances.

Investigative activities conducted by law enforcement officers established that one of the defendants had set up a specialised greenhouse inside a rented apartment in Batumi, where they illegally grew and cultivated cannabis plants intended for subsequent distribution.

According to MIA, during searches of the suspects, their temporary residences, and vehicles, police seized a particularly large quantity of various illicit drugs as physical evidence. The seized items included 25 pre-packaged bags of mephedrone, 20 packages of hashish, and nearly four kilograms of cannabis.

Law enforcement authorities also confiscated materials and equipment used for packaging and cultivating narcotic substances.

The investigation is ongoing under Articles 260, 260(4), and 265(1) of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which carry penalties of up to 20 years or life imprisonment.