Azerbaijani customs seize 545 kg heroin from melon truck en route from Iran to Ukraine
BAKU. June 3 (Interfax) - The Azerbaijani customs have seized 545 kilograms of heroin from a melon truck en route from Iran to Ukraine, a representative of Azerbaijan's State Customs Committee told Interfax.
"The investigative division of the General Customs Department for Southern Territories received information about a large batch of narcotic drugs being transported by a truck from Iran to Ukraine. A large amount of heroin was found in the course of customs examination of a Mercedes-Benz vehicle driven by Azerbaijani citizen Allahverdi Mamedov on the basis of a power of attorney. The melon truck was en route to Kharkiv from the Iranian city of Astara via Azerbaijan," the representative said.
According to the customs, 526 out 720 boxes on board the truck contained packages of pressed heroin with a total weight of 545 kilograms and 105 grams.
The driver was detained.
"In the past three days, the Azerbaijani customs prevented heroin with a total weight of 826 kilograms 54 grams and a total cost exceeding 50 million euros from being smuggled into the country," the committee said.