TBILISI, January 22 – Georgian police arrested 88 suspected drug dealers and people linked to drug crimes in a nationwide operation carried out over the past 24 hours, the Interior Ministry said on Thursday.
The arrests were made in Tbilisi and across several regions, in what officials described as an unprecedented one-day crackdown. Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia said the operation led to the seizure of large quantities of narcotic and psychotropic substances, firearms and automatic weapons, as well as cash believed to be proceeds from illegal drug sales.
Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze said those detained include both Georgian citizens and foreign nationals. According to the ministry, evidence gathered during the investigation shows that the suspects were selling drugs to customers on a regular basis.
Police conducted controlled drug purchases authorized by court orders and carried out searches of suspects’ homes, vehicles and other locations identified during the investigation. As a result, officers seized a wide range of illegal substances, including cocaine, heroin, alpha-PVP, buprenorphine, methadone, morphine, MDMA and dried marijuana. Materials used for packaging drugs were also confiscated.
The investigation is being conducted under several articles of Georgia’s Criminal Code related to illegal possession, storage, sale and trafficking of narcotics and firearms. These charges carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment, according to the ministry.
Darakhvelidze said the Interior Ministry continues what it calls an uncompromising fight against drug-related crime and vowed that police units across the country will maintain constant operations targeting drug networks.
The ministry also pointed to broader figures from recent months. Over the past seven months of 2025, more than 5,000 people were detained and prosecuted nationwide for drug-related offenses, including up to 2,000 individuals accused of drug dealing.
