ARMENIA DETAINS TWO OVER MAJOR HEROIN HAUL
Agence France Presse
January 20, 2014 Monday 10:33 AM GMT
YEREVAN, Jan 20 2014
Armenia has detained two foreign citizens after security forces
discovered almost one metric tonne of heroin allegedly being smuggled
from Iran to Turkey.
A Georgian truck driver was arrested after border guards found some
927 kilograms of heroin in his vehicle while a Turkish national was
detained later, Armenia's National Security Service said.
"As a result of a search operation conducted in Yerevan, one of the
organisers of the heroin trafficking was detained, a Turkish citizen
Osman Ogurlu, 40," the security agency said in a statement released
late Sunday.
The huge drug seizure, which occurred at the Megri border crossing
between Iran and Armenia, is reportedly the largest ever uncovered
by the Armenian authorities.
Officials from Armenia's tax inspectorate estimate that the haul
could have a street value of over $100 million (75 million euros).
Iran is thought to be a major transit point for heroin being smuggled
from Central Asia through the South Caucasus and into Europe.
This shipment was allegedly set to travel to Turkey via Armenia and
then Georgia.
mkh-del/am/dh
Agence France Presse
January 20, 2014 Monday 10:33 AM GMT
YEREVAN, Jan 20 2014
Armenia has detained two foreign citizens after security forces
discovered almost one metric tonne of heroin allegedly being smuggled
from Iran to Turkey.
A Georgian truck driver was arrested after border guards found some
927 kilograms of heroin in his vehicle while a Turkish national was
detained later, Armenia's National Security Service said.
"As a result of a search operation conducted in Yerevan, one of the
organisers of the heroin trafficking was detained, a Turkish citizen
Osman Ogurlu, 40," the security agency said in a statement released
late Sunday.
The huge drug seizure, which occurred at the Megri border crossing
between Iran and Armenia, is reportedly the largest ever uncovered
by the Armenian authorities.
Officials from Armenia's tax inspectorate estimate that the haul
could have a street value of over $100 million (75 million euros).
Iran is thought to be a major transit point for heroin being smuggled
from Central Asia through the South Caucasus and into Europe.
This shipment was allegedly set to travel to Turkey via Armenia and
then Georgia.
mkh-del/am/dh