Baku refutes fake report about release of Iranian drivers

| News, Georgia

The State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan denied a report by the Iranian media about the alleged return of Iranian drivers detained on the Goris-Kapan highway to Iran. The department said that this information is not true.

The State Customs Committee stated that smuggling occurred at crossings at the customs border of Azerbaijan from Armenia to the city of Stepanakert/Khankendi through the use of fraudulent documents and customs identification. They also spoke about illegal crossings into the protected state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan without the necessary documents and outside checkpoints. A legal case against Iranian citizens Barzegar Haji Jafar and Nouruzi Shahrud Heydar was opened under Article 206.3.2. and 318.2 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.

On September 11, the Azerbaijani police post, established on September 9 on the border section of the road between the Armenian cities of Goris and Kapan began operation. The Ombudsman of Armenia Arman Tatoyan said that Azerbaijanis stop trucks with Iranian numbers and demand payment. On September 15, the detention of two Iranian truckers transporting cement became public. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan stated that they illegally crossed the border.

On October 13, the Fars agency, citing its own source, reported that the Azerbaijani authorities had released two Iranian drivers who were detained by border guards on the Goris-Kapan Road section. However, on the same day, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Said Khatibzade denied this information.

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