Baku: Azerbaijan's former consul general in St. Petersburg has been charged with smuggling, APA reports. The allegations involve Sultan Gasimov, who is accused of large-scale gold smuggling, with damages reaching AZN 200,000.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the criminal case was investigated by the prosecutor's office, resulting in charges under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code. With the investigation now complete, the case has been forwarded to the court for proceedings. The Baku Court on Grave Crimes is set to hear the case in the near future.

Sultan Mahammad Gasimov has a notable diplomatic career, being appointed as Azerbaijan's first consul general in Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation, in 2009 before being recalled in 2016. On May 3, 2016, he took on the role of consul general in St. Petersburg, a position he held until his recall on October 21, 2024.