Heroin Worth More Than USD 90 Million on the Black Market Detected

As a result of comprehensive operational-search and customs control measures carried out by officers of the Astara Customs Department, a particularly large quantity of heroin intended for transportation to Europe was detected and removed from illicit circulation.

A railway wagon transporting a consignment declared as “tile adhesive” from the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Republic of Estonia in transit through the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan was detained at the Astara Railway Customs Post. The consignment was scanned using a stationary X-ray inspection system. After suspicious images were observed during the scan, the consignment was subjected to a thorough customs inspection with the assistance of a customs detector dog.

Following an alert by the detector dog, the inspection revealed heroin in 44 of the 3,250 sacks. The narcotic drug, constituting a particularly large quantity, had an approximate gross weight of 456 kilograms and 800 grams, including its packaging.

The estimated retail value of the seized narcotic drug on the European black market exceeds USD 90 million.

The case is under investigation.