Azerbaijani authorities have detained the former head of the Coast Guard Department, Zaur Gulmammadov, in connection with the smuggling of ₼5.4 million ($3.2 million) worth of tobacco. The case also involved the nephew of the former head of President Ilham Aliyev’s security detail.
According to pro-government media outlet APA, Gulmammadov was detained on Tuesday.
The same outlet reported that Gulmammadov was dismissed from his position four months prior to his detention.
He was detained as part of a case involving several close relatives of high-ranking officials, with detentions beginning in mid-December. The Prosecutor General’s Office has said that those being investigated include officials, military personnel, and ‘other members of a criminal organisation involved in crimes related to smuggling and abuse of power’.
According to APA, a total of 17 people have been detained during the investigation, with several being placed on international wanted lists.
The first person to be detained as part of the case was Farid Usubov, a port executive, on 11 December. He is the son of Jabrayil Usubov, the former Deputy Chief of the Special State Protection Service. His father was dismissed from his position in October 2019.
On the same day, Rashad Dashdamirov, the head of the Baku Hovsan International Trade Port, was also detained. He is son of Rasim Dashdamirov, the former Mayor of Ganja, who held his post from 1994 to 2000.
On 23 December, the authorities detained Ruslan Eyyubov, the head of the Baku-Hovsan International Trade Seaport. His brother Hasan Eyyubov, who was a high-ranking state customs official, was dismissed from his position on 15 December.
The Eyyubov brothers are the nephews of Baylar Eyyubov, President Ilham Aliyev’s former security chief.
According to the pro-government media outlet Milli.az, Ruslan Eyyubov filed an appeal against his arrest on 26 December, but withdrew his appeal on the same day.
Their uncle, Baylar Eyyubov, became the chief of Aliyev’s security service in 2020, after having spent years serving as the Deputy Chief of the Special State Protection Service. He was dismissed from his position as Aliyev’s security chief in June 2025.
Aytan Farhadova
