The State Border Service of Azerbaijan has successfully prevented an attempt to smuggle a large quantity of narcotics from Iran into Azerbaijan using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, the incident occurred within the service area of the "Lankaran" border detachment of the Border Troops Command. Border guards detected the sound of a drone and subsequently observed two unidentified individuals moving in that direction. The border outpost was immediately alerted, and the service area was sealed off to prevent any escape.
As a result of the operational search measures, two citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan—Natiq Mardanov (born 1993) and Elshan Mahmudov (born 1995)—were detained as suspects. During the initial interrogation, the detainees confessed that they had arrived at the location to retrieve 10 kilograms and 224 grams of narcotics that had been dropped by a UAV launched from the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Operational and investigative measures are currently ongoing to uncover the full scope of the smuggling network.
This incident highlights the growing challenge of cross-border drug trafficking involving modern technology. Azerbaijan shares a significant land border with Iran, and the State Border Service has recently intensified its surveillance and technical capabilities to combat the illegal transit of narcotics. The Lankaran region, located in the southern part of Azerbaijan, remains a strategic area for border security operations aimed at preventing illicit activities along the southern borders.
