Georgia Seizes Russian Peacekeepers’ ‘Smuggled’ Goods

Georgian police detained on August 31 two vehicles of the Russian peacekeeping troops, stationed in the Abkhaz conflict zone, and confiscated hundreds of packs of cigarettes claiming cargo were smuggled from breakaway Abkhazia into Georgian-controlled territory in Samegrelo region, neighboring with the unrecognized republic.

Spokespersons for the Russian peacekeeping troops in Abkhazia Maj. Levon Arzanov told Abkhaz news agency Apsnipress on September 1 that seizure of the Russian peacekeepers? vehicles is ?another provocative measure against the Russian peacekeeping forces.?

He said that cigarettes were intended for Russian servicemen stationed at the checkpoints in Georgia?s Zugdidi district, which borders with breakaway Abkhazia.

A similar incident occurred in the conflict zone on August 12, when the Georgian police seized vehicle of Russian peacekeepers and confiscated 13,000 packs of cigarettes, as well as dozens of bottles of alcohol.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)