2024-08-08 04:36:37
Officials transporting precious metals to Georgia have been arrested in Azerbaijan.
As reported by Day.Az on Wednesday, this was stated in a joint statement by the Prosecutor General’s Office and the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
“Preliminary investigation is ongoing on the criminal case received from the State Customs Committee in connection with the illegal actions of individuals who committed crimes related to smuggling and officials who participated in the commission of these crimes. In this regard, a joint investigation team has been created under the Main Anti-Corruption Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan.
The investigation has established strong suspicions that citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan – the founder of the Limited Liability Company “Karvan 313” Telman Ibrahimov, the former deputy director of this LLC Arif Rzayev, the former customs officer Tavakgul Bayramov, Shahin Soltanov, a citizen of the Republic of Turkey Shener Bilgi and others, during 2023-2024, instead of declaring various products intended for export from the country in 60 trucks, as well as products imported from the Islamic Republic of Iran in transit, and exporting them to another country at their destination, they replaced them with cargoes of precious metals and transported them from the “Red Bridge” customs post to the territory of Georgia.
At the same time, serious suspicions were revealed that the inspector of the Baku Main Customs Department Turab Nasirov and the inspector of the Sumgait Customs Department Elmir Mammadov received bribes from these persons in various ways in exchange for creating conditions for committing the said smuggling crimes. The former head of the Tovuz Customs Department Elchin Shabanov and the former head of the “Red Bridge” customs post of the same department Vasif Abiyev, having improperly organized the work of the service, neglected to commit such illegal actions, which led to evasion of customs duties to the state budget in the amount of more than 18 million manats.
Based on the collected preliminary evidence, Elmir Mamedov was charged under Article 311.3.4 of the Criminal Code (Receiving a bribe with the use of intimidation), Turab Nasirov – under Article 311.2 (Receiving a bribe by an official for illegal actions), Vasif Abiyev and Elchin Shabanov – under Article 314.2 (Negligence resulting in grave consequences), Telman Ibragimov, Arif Rzayev, Tavakgul Bayramov, Shahin Soltanov and Shener Bilgi – under Article 206.3.2 (Smuggling committed by a group of persons who had previously entered into a conspiracy).
Based on the court decision, a preventive measure in the form of detention was chosen for Turab Nasirov, Elmir Mamedov, Telman Ibragimov, Arif Rzayev, Rovshan Ibragimov, Tavakgul Bayramov and Shahin Soltanov, and a preventive measure in the form of detention in police custody (primary) and removal from office (additional) was chosen for Vasif Abiyev and Elchin Shabanov.
Currently, investigative and operational measures are ongoing in the case, aimed at identifying other persons who participated in the commission of these illegal actions,” the statement says.
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