The Security Service of Georgia announced that it had detained a shipment of six explosive devices that was being transported from Odesa. Some of the explosives were supposed to be delivered to the Russian Voronezh.
This was reported by the press service of the Security Council of Georgia.
The total weight of the seized explosives is 14 kg. According to the special service, the explosives were brought to Georgia on January 19 from Odesa through Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey through the Sarfi checkpoint in a minibus owned by a citizen of Ukraine. The special service believes that the explosives were planned to be taken to Russia, namely to Voronezh, through the Daryal checkpoint.
"Later, at the customerʼs request, the decision was changed — the defendants tried to take one of the containers, which contained three explosive devices, out of the country. And the second container with three explosive devices was left in Tbilisi," the State Security Service of Georgia claims. The special service does not know whether they were going to transport these explosives to Russia later.
The explosive devices seized by the Georgian special services contain C-4 plastic explosives of military use. All six devices, according to Georgian law enforcement officers, were made by a "high-level specialist", they are "designed for a wide range of destruction".
According to the law enforcement officers, this was done in order to accuse Georgia of terrorist attacks, which could allegedly be carried out with the help of this explosive. The special service believes that seven people from Georgia, three from Ukraine and two from Armenia are involved in the importation of explosive devices into the territory of Georgia and their movement.
This operation, the Security Council of Georgia claims, was organized by a citizen of Ukraine, a candidate for deputy of the Odesa District Council in 2020 from the Servant of the People party Andriy Sharashidze a native of Batumi, Georgia. The investigation believes that only Sharashidze knew about the planted explosives — he allegedly actively monitored the movement of explosive devices from outside Georgia. The other participants were probably unaware of the explosives.
Currently, Ukraine has not commented on the incident. The suspects face up to 15 years in prison.