A Dutch citizen has been detained and arrested in Armenia on suspicion of smuggling 845 grams of cocaine into the country via air transport. The State Revenue Committee (SRC) of Armenia released the official details regarding the operation and subsequent arrests.
According to Operative Information Center-OMM, citing Armenian media, the SRC's Anti-Smuggling Department had previously received intelligence concerning the arrival of a Dutch national, identified as R.D., suspected of transporting narcotics. Investigative measures confirmed that the individual arrived on a Vienna–Yerevan flight and had settled into a hotel in the capital.
As part of the operation, R.D. was escorted to a customs control zone where an X-ray examination revealed suspicious foreign objects in his abdominal cavity. The suspect was then moved to a medical facility, where 50 capsules containing cocaine were removed from his body. Following the discovery, two other individuals, identified as A.P. and S.M., were also detained. Criminal proceedings have been initiated under Articles 393 and 399 of the Armenian Criminal Code, and searches were conducted at their places of residence.
The use of "human mules" for internal drug concealment remains a persistent challenge for law enforcement agencies across the region. This incident underscores the ongoing efforts by customs authorities to monitor transit routes from Europe. In Azerbaijan, the government maintains a rigorous stance against narcotics trafficking, with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Customs Committee frequently conducting large-scale operations to prevent the Republic of Azerbaijan from being used as a transit point for international drug cartels.
