BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 6. The territory of
South Caucasus, because the years glided by, earned itself a nasty
fame for being one of many hubs in world drug trafficking. In
specific, we’re speaking about Azerbaijan’s Karabakh – by
which, Armenia was smuggling all types of medicine, and never with out
Iran’s assist.
After Azerbaijan liberated its lands from the thirty-year
Armenian occupation within the second Karabakh conflict in 2020, the drug
circulation was disrupted… apart from one street. The Lachin-Khankendi
street.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijanis began staging peaceable protests on the
street since December 2022, demanding to cease unlawful mining in
Karabakh.
Feeling the stress, the so-called “prime minister of Karabakh”
Ruben Vardanyan, began in search of a means out – each relating to the
unlawful mining (which he’s concerned in) and the drug cash.
Yesterday, Vardanyan, a fugitive Russian billionaire of Armenian
origin, who illegally seized the ability in Karabakh, has made a
assertion on the necessity to open the airport within the metropolis of Khankendi,
calling it “the one means for the residents of Karabakh to outlive
winter”.
Vardanyan has been making unreasonable allegations in opposition to
Azerbaijan in reference to blocking the Lachin-Khankendi street –
the one means for residents of Karabakh to get to Armenia. Since the
peaceable protest of Azerbaijani NGOs on the Lachin-Khankendi street
close to town of Shusha began, the street has remained open for
humanitarian functions. Dozens of provide automobiles of Russian
peacekeepers, or autos of the International Committee of the Red
Cross have been crossing the street each day.
Although, determined Vardanyan, attempting to deceive everybody,
hiding behind Karabakh residents, stays persistent. Having misplaced
the final land route alongside the Lachin-Khankendi street, he pushes the
thought of opening an air hall. Fabricating rumors concerning the
“humanitarian crisis” and “starving Armenians”, he’s simply utilizing
the residents of Karabakh in pursuit of his personal pursuits.
Vardanyan has already gained a fame in Russia. The
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) has
printed an intensive investigation into his unlawful operations.
Apparently, he has been laundering cash of Russian oligarchs to
the West. According to OCCRP, from 2006-2013, greater than $4.5
billion handed by varied accounts. During this time, about $9
billion was laundered and withdrawn from Russia.
In September 2022, Vardanyan introduced renunciation of his
Russian citizenship and moved to Karabakh, the place in early November,
he proclaimed himself “the prime minister” of the unrecognized
republic.
Now, he’s utilizing Karabakh for illegally extracting and exporting
Azerbaijani gold. But, is that this the one cause?
Back in November 2022, information studies mentioned 14 Iranian residents
entered the territory of Azerbaijan’s Karabakh, the place Russian
peacekeepers are briefly deployed. According to the sources, 12
out of 14 individuals who arrived in Khankendi on November 24 are from
town of Izeh in southwestern Iran. The commander of the Russian
peacekeeping forces, Major General Andrei Volkov, mentioned that these
individuals are working at a development website, and the matter is
presently beneath investigation.
This investigation nonetheless hasn’t been wrapped up. Meanwhile, new
studies appeared on one other group of 13 Iranians – simply six days
after the arrival of the primary group.
So, what was the true cause for these Iranians to cross the
border of Azerbaijan?
It needs to be famous that Iran continues to stay a part of the
drug trafficking route that runs from Afghanistan to Europe. The
Secretary General of the Iranian Anti-Drug Headquarters has even
admitted that a lot of the world’s medicine go by Iran.
According to his assertion, citing an official UN report, 90
p.c of the world’s opium is discovered and seized in Iran. Another
50 p.c of morphine and 27 p.c of heroin additionally account for
Iran.
This is the place Karabakh suits in.
It has been sort of a ‘hub’ for Iran’s drug smuggling enterprise.
During the 30-year-long occupation of Azerbaijani lands, Armenia
acted as a backup for Iran’s illicit actions.
According to data obtained by Trend, drug labs have been
arrange in Karabakh, and apparently, Vardanyan is the one managing
this enterprise.
Right now, on account of Azerbaijan’s victory within the second Karabakh
conflict in 2020 and the current peaceable protest on the Lachin-Khankendi
street, the continued drug enterprise by Karabakh has acquired a
couple of noticeable blows, forcing each Iran and the separatists
to desperately search for a means out.
What Vardanyan does not appear to understand is that Azerbaijan, in
any case, would battle any illicit enterprise on its lands. This means
that each one the desires of opening an airport in Khankendi to make use of it
for drug trafficking needs to be forgotten about.
As for the Armenians in Karabakh, they need to ask themselves –
who actually cares about their future? Is it the billionaire drug
lord who offers medicine left and proper, protecting it up with
“humanitarian” defend? Really?
