Drug dealers to face up to 20 years in prison for selling drugs in Georgia

TBILISI. March 10 (Interfax) - Georgian authorities are launching an anti-drug reform that envisions tougher penalties for the sale and abuse of drugs, Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party Mamuka Mdinaradze said.

"The reform envisages tougher penalties for selling any kinds of drugs. The penalty for selling even a small dose of drugs will be from 12 to 20 years in prison," Mdinaradze said at a press briefing on Monday.

The properties of drug dealers will be forfeited to the state, he said.

"From June 1 this year, those proven to abuse drugs or declining drug testing will be deprived of their driving license for three years and banned from teaching for five years, as well as the right to carry weapons," Mdinaradze said.

The ruling Georgian Dream party initiated the reform, he said.

"We make drug trafficking equal to the murder of an individual, therefore, we are toughening the penalties," Mdinaradze said.