BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 19. Azerbaijan's Main Customs Department for Excise Goods has detected 1,072 violations since the beginning of 2026, according to department official Orkhan Sultanov, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
Speaking to journalists during a media tour of the department, Sultanov said the Operations and Investigation Department identified four criminal cases and 1,068 administrative offenses between Jan. 1 and mid-June.
According to Sultanov, the criminal cases included three incidents involving the illegal circulation of cigarettes that were required to carry excise markings but did not, as well as one case involving the discovery of diamond rings totaling 308.30 carats that were not declared to customs authorities.
Customs officials also uncovered 73,840 unmarked cigarettes during the reporting period, he said.
Authorities imposed a total of 97,169.80 manats ($57,000) in fines for customs violations. Of that amount, 81,146.35 manats (about $47,733) have been collected, while materials related to 64 cases have been forwarded to the courts for further consideration.
Sultanov also outlined the volume of excise-taxed goods processed during the period.
Customs authorities assessed excise taxes on approximately 3.5 million liters of energy drinks, 4.44 million liters of alcoholic beverages, 59.45 million tobacco products, 18,928 kilograms of hookah tobacco, and 141.4 million tobacco-containing or reconstituted tobacco sticks.
In addition, 24,783 passenger vehicles were subject to excise tax, including 6,815 hybrid vehicles, 482 fully electric vehicles, 2,526 diesel-powered vehicles, and 14,960 gasoline-powered vehicles.
The department also processed 2,641 freight vehicles, 723 semi-truck tractors, 590 trailers, and 1,960 other vehicles subject to excise taxation, Sultanov said.
