Thursday, October 18, 2007, #199 (1466)

Moscow denies reports of drug dealing Russian peacekeepers
By Anna Kamushadze

First deputy Defense Minister Batu Kutelia

Georgian media reported that Russian peacekeepers in Abkhazia were detained for selling illicit drugs, prompting a denial and strong rebuke from Moscow.

Rustavi 2 and Mze TV reported on October 16 that Russian peacekeepers stole promedol, a morphine-like substance, from their medical center and sold it to Chechen peacekeepers at nearby checkpoints.

Russian law enforcers detained an officer and two soldiers as well as the checkpoint’s chief military doctor, the Georgian television stations claimed.

Russian representatives, however, say the reports are entirely untrue.

Promedol is usually used during surgeries as a strong painkiller. Soldiers can use it only by permission.

Expert Zaza Berozashvili told Rustavi 2 that promedol is banned by a UN 1961 convention from use in UN member countries.

Tbilisi pointed to the alleged incident as a compelling reason to reconsider the Russian peacekeepers’ mandate.

“…Russian peacekeepers are busy with laundering money, smuggling weapons, supporting separatism and other illegal things. This fact proved what we have been claiming for a long time,” Shota Malashkhia, chair of the parliamentary Temporary Commission on Territorial Integrity Issues, told Rustavi 2.
First deputy Defense Minister Batu Kutelia argued that Russian peacekeepers systematically violate the law.

“We see absolute ignorance of discipline from Russian peacekeepers, in a number of violations,” Kutelia said.

Majority MP Nika Rurua, deputy chair of the parliamentary Committee for Defense and Security, said the incident is one more argument in favor of replacing Russian peacekeepers in Abkhazia.

“They are there [in Abkhazia] to trade in arms, drugs and to support the separatists,” he said.
Officials from the Russian military categorically denied the reports, according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti, insisting that the soldiers in question are still on duty.

The Russian Ministry of Defense noted the position of “peacekeepers’ chief military doctor,” as named by Georgian media reports, does not actually exist.



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