Baku: Members of an organized smuggling group that attempted to smuggle a significant amount of drugs from the Caspian Sea to the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan by violating the state border have been detained, the State Border Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Prosecutor General’s Office said in a joint statement.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the incident occurred on September 4, when an unknown vessel was observed moving rapidly in the territorial waters of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Caspian Sea, heading towards the Neftchala district. Border vessels immediately initiated a pursuit operation and took measures to secure the coastline.

During the operation, warning shots were fired, and the command to ‘Stop’ was given using the border ship’s light and sound signals. As the violators attempted to leave Azerbaijan’s territorial waters, fire was directed at the engine section of their vessel to ensure their detention.

The situation escalated when both individuals jumped into the sea with packages due to a fire on the vessel. However, rescue operations enabled border authorities to recover them, provide first aid to the injured, and extinguish the fire on the Yamaha-200 ‘Liner’-type vessel. The package thrown into the sea was found to contain a total of 11.85 kilograms of narcotics and was seized.

Initial investigations identified the border violators as citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran, namely Gulreza Javad Alireza, born in 1994, and Bordbar Milad Mansur, born in 1996. A criminal case was initiated on September 4, 2025, at the State Border Service under Articles 206.3.2, 234.4.1, 234.4.3, and 318.2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Investigation and operational-search measures are being continued jointly with the Prosecutor General’s Office.