Customs officers charged and remanded for bribery in ongoing Azerbaijani apple smuggling probe

The special investigative service said the customs officer of Bagratashen checkpoint’s preclearance control department and head of the department shift are under investigation as defendants amid the ongoing criminal proceedings on the smuggling of agricultural products to Armenia, bribery and causing large damages due to illicit business operations committed by state revenue committee officers.

The investigation revealed that the abovementioned customs officers accepted bribes from several illicit businessmen for clearing undeclared agricultural products from the customs for them.

The two officers took bribes from two businessmen in order to smuggle various kinds of agricultural products, exceeding the permitted quantity of 50kg, without required laboratory analysis and declaration. The products included Azerbaijani apples. The businessmen later illicitly sold the products in the local market. The two customs officers have been charged for bribery and remanded in custody. Investigation continues.

Notice – Suspect is innocent until proven guilty by the Court of Law.