In the last week, tensions have been observed in Azerbaijani-Iranian relations caused by checks of Iranian trucks on the Goris-Lachin Road and the arrests of two drivers who illegally traveled to Karabakh.
The MP Rasim Musabekov said in an interview with Turan that the persistence with which Iranian trucks are trying to break through to Karabakh cannot be explained only by the desire to make money. Is it worth creating unnecessary tension in Azerbaijani-Iranian relations over several hundred thousand or even a couple of million dollars?
“But everything falls into place when it comes to drug trafficking. It is known that for more than a quarter of a century the territory of Karabakh was used for illegal drug trafficking. After a 44-day war, Baku fully regained control along the entire length of the Azerbaijani-Iranian border. Therefore, the old routes of drug trafficking from Iran were cut off.
“This year alone, there have been many attempts by drug couriers to break through to Azerbaijan with armed resistance. At the same time, the volume of heroin and synthetic drugs confiscated from them is measured in tons. And this is already a loss of tens, and possibly hundreds of millions of dollars,” Musabekov said.
It is possible that drug couriers are looking for new routes for drug trafficking and they are trying to involve or are already involving Russian peacekeepers in this criminal activity.
During the war in Afghanistan, Russian officers illegally brought Afghan drugs to the USSR. In Central Asia, Russian military personnel did the same.
Today, about 80% of cargo arriving from Russia to Karabakh in vehicles for peacekeepers goes through Ganja and is not checked by Azerbaijani customs officers.
In the opposite direction, cargoes are also not checked.
“If it turns out that the recently detained Iranian drivers were previously involved in Azerbaijan for drug trafficking, then this will no longer be a version, but a confirmed fact. Therefore, the establishment of border and customs control of Azerbaijan at the entrance to the Lachin corridor is necessary to exclude illegal penetrations,” Musabekov said.
Source: Turan News Agency