Over 7.2 tonnes of marijuana seized in Azerbaijan in nine months
Between January and September 2026 Azerbaijan seized 8.4 tonnes of drugs, including 7,236 kg of marijuana, 253 kg of hashish and 21,355 cannabis plants, the State Commission reported. Police detected 6,247 drug cases and held 4,352 people criminally liable, while the Interior Ministry put its own nine-month seizures at 6,443 kg.
Law-enforcement agencies detected 6,247 criminal drug cases during
January–September 2026.[1]Of those cases, 1,682 involved illegal sale, 4,411
illegal acquisition and possession, 152 illegal cultivation of narcotic plants
and two involved other crimes.[1]Officers held 4,352 people criminally liable
for drug trafficking, including 4,235 men and 117 women.[2]
Seizures in the detected cases totalled 8 tons406 kg878.621 grams of narcotic
drugs and psychotropic substances.[1]Marijuana accounted for 7 tons236 kg769.263 grams of that total.[1]Hashish accounted for 253 kg763.447 grams,
with the remainder comprising heroin, opium, cocaine, other narcotic drugs and
psychotropic substances.[1]Officers also detected and seized 21,355 cannabis
plants.[1]The Interior Ministry separately reported 6,443 kg of drugs seized
in January–September 2026.[3]That ministry total was 1,780 kg more than in
the same period last year.[3]
The ministry figures were announced at its board meeting on nine months of
operational performance and future tasks.[3]The State Commission working
group estimated the combined haul’s value at AZN 246 million 273 thousand.[2]
Case data
Every number and detail the sources state, with the sources that state it.
Charged
4,352
Plants destroyed
21,355
Cannabis
7.49053271 t
Agency type
Police
Cannabis
Herbal cannabis; Hashish
Activity
Trafficking, Cultivation
Case stage
Under investigation
Sources
APAen.apa.azAzerbaijan detects 6,247 drug-related crimes in nine months
APAen.apa.azDrugs worth AZN 246 million seized in Azerbaijan this year, 4,352 people held criminally liable
Report.azreport.azRUСвыше 6 тонн наркотиков изъято из незаконного оборота в Азербайджане
Open questions the AI reported
The 8.4-tonne total and AZN 246 million value cover all drugs and psychotropic substances, so only the separately stated marijuana, hashish and plant counts are recorded as cannabis figures.
The 6,443 kg Interior Ministry figure covers all drugs and is reported separately from the all-agency 8.4-tonne total.
30 October 2026 is used as the incident date; the reports cover January–September 2026 and were published on 29–30 October 2026.
No substance-specific breakdown or court outcomes for the 4,352 people beyond criminal liability were published.
The existing January–August 2026 report is a separate eight-month total and is not updated here.
Customs officers at South Astara found 97.685 kilograms of cannabis in 90 packages hidden under lettuce on a truck travelling from Iran to Russia. A customs dog indicated the pallet during an inspection, and the State Customs Committee reported that an investigation was under way.
In January–August 2026 the authorities recorded 5,561 drug crimes and seized 6,994.958 kg of narcotics and psychotropic substances, valued at 208.47 million manat, the State Commission for Combating Drug Addiction reported. Marijuana accounted for 5,928.805 kg and hashish for 247.630 kg, and officers also took 17,372 cannabis plants out of circulation.
Officers at the Bilasuvar customs post found 25 kg 570 g of dried marijuana in 80 packages hidden in the pallets of a lorry carrying onions from Iran to Russia via Azerbaijan. The State Customs Committee said an investigation was under way, and no arrest was reported.
Between January and July 2026 Azerbaijan took 6,223 kg of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances out of circulation, valued at 187.2 million manat, including 5,307 kg of marijuana, 247 kg of hashish and 12,715 cannabis bushes, the State Commission's working group reported. Officers also destroyed 3,960,601 wild drug-containing plants on 1,167.2 hectares.
