The annual report on International Narcotics Control published by the United States Department of State on Georgia notes that the United States continues to strengthen the capabilities of Georgian law enforcement agencies in the area of combatting drugs. Georgia joined the Global Coalition to Combat Synthetic Drugs, established in 2023 with the initiative of the United States.
The report refers to the international cooperation in the area of fight against drugs, among other things mentioning that in April 2023, a joint operation was carried out by the Central Criminal Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia and the Belgian authorities, with the support of the United States, as a result of which 400 kg of heroin was seized. It is also emphasized that in May 2023, the United States assisted the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia in identifying a second commercial container sent from Iran to the port of Poti in Georgia, from which 80 kg of heroin was seized.
The Annual Report on International Narcotics Control states that in 2023, a new drug strategy for 2023-30 and an action plan for 2023-24 were adopted, which included several new initiatives, such as an early warning system to monitor emerging drug trends and the development of an indicator on drug-related deaths.
According to the report, Georgia remains an attractive transit hub for significant quantities of opiates from Afghanistan, Iran, and other Eurasian countries to Europe via the Black Sea.
The report also notes that since the start of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, transnational drug organizations have been using new drug trafficking routes through Georgia to transport opioids and synthetic drugs from Europe to countries such as Trkiye, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.
