Why is Iran often mentioned? Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry and border service drug operations over two years
Drug trafficking in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry, State Border Service, and pro-government media have in recent years regularly reported drug seizures, arrests of dealers, and, in particular, cases of smuggling from the Islamic Republic of Iran.
These reports often refer to large consignments — ranging from 10 to 50 kilograms or more — the use of drones to move drugs across the border, and other methods of illegal trafficking, frequently mentioning Iranian nationals.
Drawing on official data and open sources, we analysed such cases over the past two years, from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025.
Authorities do not publish official statistics on the number of anti-drug operations. We therefore compiled our own monitoring database, using Interior Ministry and Border Service press releases, data from the State Statistics Committee, and media reports.
Statistical comparison
According to Interior Minister Vilayat Eyvazov’s address at an Interior Ministry board meeting on 24 January 2025, the overall picture for 2024 in terms of drug seizures is as follows:
- Authorities seized 4 tonnes 714 kg of narcotics from illegal circulation;
- They prevented the smuggling of an additional 283 kg into the country;
- In 466 cases of online drug sales, they identified and seized 2 tonnes 51 kg of “relevant substances”;
- Law enforcement dismantled 108 criminal groups linked to наркотики.
Official comparisons for the first halves of 2024 and 2025 show the following:
According to the State Statistics Committee, between January and June 2024, authorities recorded 18,518 crimes in the country. Of these, 5,674 (30.6%) related to the illegal circulation of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. During the same period, they seized 4,144.4 kg of narcotics, psychotropic substances, precursors, and drug-containing plants.
For January–June 2025, the same sources report a decline in both the number and share of drug-related crimes. Out of 17,049 recorded crimes, 4,667 (27.4%) involved drug trafficking. Officials present this as a 17.7% decrease compared to the same period of the previous year. At the same time, the volume of seized substances reached 4,256.0 kg — 2.7% higher than a year earlier.
Analytical materials from the Interior Ministry on the crime situation for January–June show a similar trend. In the first half of 2025, reported drug offences fell by 18%, while authorities seized 2 tonnes 958 kg of narcotics.
For the first half of 2024, the comparable figure stood at 2 tonnes 844 kg. Methodological differences may explain some of the variation — for example, differences in how agencies compile data or which categories they include. However, the overall direction in official reporting is clear: figures are presented either as a decrease or an increase.
Most reports shaping the narrative of an “Iranian factor” at the border come from the State Border Service (SBS).
In a statement dated 21 March 2024, the SBS said officers discovered a rubber boat in a reed area along the Araz River, within the Horadiz border unit’s zone of responsibility. The boat contained 102 kg of narcotics — including marijuana, heroin, and methamphetamine — as well as 8,010 methadone tablets. Authorities presented the case as an attempted smuggling operation from the Islamic Republic of Iran into Azerbaijan.
In autumn 2024, several large-scale SBS operations drew attention.
On the Caspian coast, in the Khachmaz district near Niyazabad and close to the Russian border, a joint operation involving the coast guard and border vessels led to the discovery of 205 kg 135 grams of narcotics and 13,110 methadone tablets. The SBS said three Azerbaijani citizens were detained in connection with the case. The statement did not specify the country of origin of the drugs.
On 30 September 2024, the SBS also reported detecting an aerial device travelling from Iran to Azerbaijan in the direction of the Horadiz border unit. Officers intercepted the device and found 19.7 kg of marijuana and 1,500 methadone tablets.
SBS reports in 2025 describe the Iranian route more systematically and include more detailed technical explanations of the methods used.
For example, in a statement dated 29 July 2025, the SBS said it had prevented an attempt to transport drugs from Iran to Azerbaijan using an unmanned aerial vehicle in the Horadiz sector. Authorities seized 12.1 kg of marijuana and 399 methadone tablets.
In April 2025, the SBS also described an incident in which a “small package” was dropped from a drone, followed by the arrest of individuals who arrived on the Azerbaijani side to collect it. On 8 April, officers detained two suspects who, according to the SBS, admitted they had come to retrieve 4 kg 504 grams of marijuana dropped by drone.
On 6 April, the SBS reported that a joint operation with Interior Ministry officers had prevented the transfer of 14 kg 240 grams of narcotics — including marijuana and methamphetamine — using a drone.
Operations increase again towards the end of the year
By the end of the year, the scale of operations rises again.
On 20 November 2025, officers in the Göytepe border unit prevented an attempt to smuggle drugs from Iran using an aerial device. Authorities seized 33 kg 345 grams of various narcotics — including marijuana, methamphetamine, opium, and methadone-containing liquid — along with 6,758 methadone tablets.
In December 2025, two more major incidents were reported in the Lankaran border sector. A statement dated 11 December said officers had prevented an attempt to smuggle a total of 53 kg 250 grams of narcotics from Iran, along with 1,450 methadone tablets. They also detained a suspect and reported the discovery of additional drugs on different days.
In another statement on 9 December, the SBS reported the interception of 30 kg 596 grams of marijuana and 3,200 methadone tablets smuggled from Iran. Officers also detained an individual suspected of attempting to receive the shipment, in a joint operation with the Lerik district police department.
A report published by the state news agency AZERTAC on 8 December 2025, citing SBS data, points to the same trend. In the Horadiz sector, officers detained individuals attempting to transport drugs from Iran and seized a total of 8 kg 456 grams of marijuana. The report described them as “a resident of the city of Ganja” and “a resident of the Aghdam district”, without specifying citizenship.
As part of this analysis, a basic monitoring count based on the SBS reports cited above — not a complete list — shows that the total volume of seized drugs across 15 selected incidents in 2025 amounted to approximately 361.9 kg. For 2024, across 8 incidents, the figure stood at around 520.7 kg.
In most operations reported in 2025, officials explicitly refer to the Islamic Republic of Iran. In 2024, however, several major cases do not explicitly emphasise the country of origin.
These figures reflect only aggregated data from selected published reports on operations and do not represent the total annual volume of seizures.
The Iran factor
The World Drug Report for 2024 and 2025, produced by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), serves as a key source on global drug markets and trafficking routes.
Mapping modules published in 2025 show the main routes used to move drugs, including heroin and morphine, based on seizure data. Analysts use these maps to understand the regional transit nature of trafficking routes.
In its 2025 publication Drug Situation in Afghanistan, the UNODC highlights the geography of opiate seizures linked to Afghan supply. It notes that a significant share of opium seizures — a natural narcotic derived from the opium poppy — occurs in Iran.
This points to Iran’s role in the region as a transit country and one of the main locations where opiates are intercepted.
As for whether tensions between Azerbaijan and Iran shape such reporting, the available sources offer only limited grounds for conclusions.
In the selected SBS reports, officials focus primarily on operational details — location, method, volume — and the course of investigations. However, in a broader political context, one can assume that such reporting may also contribute to a narrative of an external threat to Azerbaijan.
Drug trafficking in Azerbaijan
