Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs says it broke up 146 criminal groups with 402 members involved in serious crimes during the first nine months of 2026, according to a report presented at a board meeting.
The meeting, held on October 29, was chaired by Interior Minister Colonel-General Vilayat Eyvazov. Officials said that work carried out jointly with other law enforcement agencies to maintain public order and fight crime had continued without interruption. The board reviewed the ministry’s results for the nine-month period and outlined tasks ahead.
According to the report, investigative and operational-search units solved 90.5% of the 22,804 crimes registered during the period. The clearance rate for crimes recorded by the ministry and prosecutor’s offices rose to 93.7%. Compared with the same period last year, the overall number of criminal cases fell by 5.7%, a category that includes serious and especially serious crimes, attempted murder, theft, fraud, robbery, vehicle theft and offenses committed by organized groups.
Investigators also closed 294 previously unresolved cases dating from earlier years, and 87.2% of wanted suspects were detained. Authorities seized 6 tons 443 kilograms of narcotics from illegal circulation, an increase of 1 ton 780 kilograms over the same period last year. Separately, the number of road accidents fell by 67, with 7 fewer deaths and 117 fewer injuries than in the comparable period.
Minister’s instructions
Vilayat Eyvazov said the fight against the illegal trafficking of narcotics, psychotropic substances and precursors used to produce them must be strengthened further, including efforts to block their sale online. He also stressed the need for strict compliance with legal procedures during investigations and preliminary inquiries, as well as careful handling of citizens’ complaints.
The minister noted that expanding the use of digital technologies in management is helping improve the quality of services. He instructed relevant departments to preserve the results achieved so far this year, strengthen operational discipline and continue upgrading the professional training of personnel.
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