Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Baramidze said on May 31, that additional forces of the internal troops were dispatched in Shida Kartli region, near the Ossetian conflict zone after the commander of Russian peacekeeping forces deployed in the conflict zone, demanded to disband Georgia’s checkpoints near the breakaway South Ossetia.
Georgian Interior Minister said additional checkpoints of the Georgian police were deliberately set up near the breakaway South Ossetia to prevent smuggling.
“It seems, the implementation of anti-smuggling measures have caused the anxiety of particular forces in the separatist South Ossetian authorities and in Russia, who were directly interested in contraband import,” Giorgi Baramidze said at a news briefing on May 31.
“Nabdzorov tries to cancel these checkpoints. The Georgian authorities will do their utmost to tackle contraband. Of course, we will use force if necessary,” the Interior Minister said.
Georgian police has recently set up additional checkpoint in Tkviavi village, less then 10 km away from Tskhinvali, the breakaway South Ossetia’s capital. The village is in the area, which is under the Georgian central government’s control.
The move aimed at fighting smuggling, according to the Georgian officials. The market at Ergneti village in the Ossetian conflict zone has emerged as the largest market of smuggled goods in Georgia.
Secretary of the Georgian National Council Vano Merabishvili, Security Minister Zurab Adeishvili, General Prosecutor Irakli Okruashvili, Chief of Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces Givi Iukuridze and Commander of the Internal Troops Gogi Tatukhashvili arrived in the village of Tkviavi together with the additional troops.
“We will not let anyone to talk with us on the language of ultimatums,” General Prosecutor Irakli Okruashvili told reporters.
Security Minister Zurab Adeishvili said that a special governmental group will be set up with the headquarters in Tkviavi to coordinate fight against smuggling.