Shida Kartli Governor Comments on Smuggling

In an interview with the Georgian daily 24 Hours published on March 14, Governor of the Shida Kartli region, which borders breakaway South Ossetia, Mikheil Kareli spoke about the vaious problems related to smuggling via South Ossetia. He said that after the closure of the major black market of smuggled goods in Ergneti, smuggling and distributing contraband in the region became ?chaotic and disorganized.?

?I would be lying if I said that smuggling has been 100% eradicated. But I can tell you that smuggling was rooted out by 90%. The smuggling routes changed after we closed down the route via Kekhvi [a Georgian village in South Ossetia]. Smuggled goods imported via the Roki Tunnel [connecting South Ossetia with Russia], are being transferred to Tskhinvali via bypass roads which are under the control of the Ossetian side. There are numerous bypass roads and the control of these routes is extremely difficult,? he added.

He said that over the past year around 250 policemen were sacked in the region for alleged participation in smuggling. ?I have to fight not only with smugglers but also with the policemen who assist them,? Kareli added.

?[South Ossetian] Separatists lost a significant source of income after the closure of the Ergneti market [last June], which was used for purchasing arms? 80% of Ergneti was controlled by Ossetian separatist? representatives of the Georgian law enforcement agencies were also involved in this mafia, as well as representatives of other Georgian governmental structures,? Mikheil Kareli said.

?The current smuggling is chaotic and disorganized. The goods are smuggled in small batches by certain individuals. The main product is tobacco,? he added.

One local police top official was arrested and several others dismissed on March 13 in the Shida Kartli region for allegedly partaking in smuggling.

Kareli has himself been accused by his political opponents and some media sources of patronizing smuggling in the region.

But President Saakashvili said on March 13 that Mikhail Kareli is ?an honest person? and instructed him to closely cooperate with the Interior Minister and General Prosecutor in fighting contraband in the region.

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