Azeri police arrest gang of mercury smugglers
Sarq, Baku
17 May 05
Text of unattributed report by Azerbaijani newspaper Sarq on 17
May entitled “Ten kilos of mercury were confiscated” and subheaded
“Toxic substance was left by an Armenian from Tovuz”
Police of [Baku’s] Xatai district have arrested a group of three
engaged in the smuggling of a toxic substance.
Solmaz Verdiyeva from Tovuz District [western Azerbaijan] and Azar
Babayeva from Naxcivan [Azeri exclave] were detained with five
kilograms of white mercury.
After the handover of the detained people to an investigatory body,
it emerged that Mirza Qasimov, a resident of Tovuz, is the owner
of the chemical substance. A search by police at Qasimov’s house in
Tovuz led to the discovery of another 5 kg of mercury.
Qasimov told the investigation that he had found the mercury at a
house in Tovuz owned by an Armenian after exchanging it for his house
in Uzbekistan.
The arrested people planned to sell the 10 kg of mercury for 200,000
dollars. Their plan was thwarted as it turned out that the buyers were
policemen in disguise. An investigation into the case is under way.