13:45
A criminal case has been initiated in connection with smuggling committed in a foreign country using diplomatic status.
A
criminal case has been initiated by the State Security Service regarding the
fact of participation of citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan in
collaboration with citizens of other countries in the committing of smuggling
between foreign states.
During
the investigation, reasonable suspicions were established that Lieutenant
Colonel Mammadov Gahraman Shamil oglu, who served as the Chief Assistant to the
Military Attaché of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the
United States of America, participated in the smuggling of a particularly large
amount of gold bars transported from the United Arab Emirates to the Republic
of Türkiye as part of a group of individuals who had previously conspired with
another citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Gasimov Anar Ali oglu, and
citizens of foreign countries.
Thus,
Gahraman Mammadov, who holds a diplomatic status, following
a prior agreement with others arrived in the Republic of Türkiye from the
United States of America on November 22, 2024 and at the same day picked up a
bag containing a particularly large amount of gold bars, which was earlier transported
by Anar Gasimov from the United Arab Emirates and placed in a storage area
outside customs control at Istanbul International Airport. He deliberately used
his diplomatic passport, which confirms the privileges and immunities provided
for members of the diplomatic staff and his official authority in violation of
the interests of his service, and crossed the customs border at that airport
without declaring those gold bars. Later, he was detained by Turkish law
enforcement officers while driving a taxi to one of the hotels in Istanbul to
hand over these gold bars to Anar Gasimov. During the inspection of the bag
carried by Gahraman Mammadov, 70 kilograms of gold bars worth 10.220.900 (ten
million two hundred twenty thousand nine hundred) manats were discovered and
seized.
As
a result of the investigation, another bag containing 14 kilograms of gold bars
that had not crossed the customs border was discovered in the aforementioned
storage area at the airport.
In
addition, Anar Gasimov, who was suspected of participating in the crime of
smuggling, was detained in the Republic of Türkiye and brought to criminal
responsibility.
Gahraman
Mammadov was brought to criminal responsibility under Articles 12.1, 206.3.2,
12.1-1, 206.3.3 (smuggling by a citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan in a
group of persons with prior collusion outside the country, using his official
position) and 12.1-1, 341.1 (abuse of official powers or exceeding official
powers by a citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan outside the country) of the
Criminal Code in connection with the ongoing criminal case at the State
Security Service, and the Baku Military Court has chosen a preventive measure
of arrest against him.
Currently, investigative and operational measures on the criminal case are continuing.