An Azerbaijani military attaché, Colonel-Lieutenant Gahraman Shamil oghlu Mammadov, was detained near the Vadi Istanbul shopping centre in Turkey, after he was found to be carrying 70kg of gold in a taxi during a police operation targeting smuggling. 

The incident has sparked a major investigation involving Azerbaijani and Turkish authorities. Initial findings suggest the smuggling operation involved exploiting diplomatic immunity to bypass border inspections. Mammadov’s precise role remains unclear, with investigators probing whether he was a direct participant or unwittingly implicated. The gold’s origins and the broader network behind the smuggling operation are key focus areas of the ongoing inquiry.

Mammadov, earlier identified in Turkish media as M.G.Sh., reportedly claimed the gold belonged to him and initially presented himself as an Azerbaijani diplomat. He previously served as an assistant to the military attaché at Azerbaijan’s embassy in the US and was recently appointed military attaché to Saudi Arabia.

The Azerbaijani State Security Service has launched a criminal case against Mammadov under multiple articles of the Criminal Code, including Article 12.1 (extraterritorial application of criminal law), Articles 206.3.2 and 206.3.3 (smuggling involving substantial quantities or organised groups), and Article 341.1 (abuse or overreach of official authority). The Military Court of Baku has ordered his detention for four months as investigations continue. "Gahraman Mammadov does not plead guilty. He said in court that he did not accept the accusations against him about gold smuggling," a source in the court, who did not want to be named, told RFE/RL.

It has been revealed that Mammadov is the brother of an academic, Garib Shamil oghlu Mammadov, a prominent figure in Azerbaijan and deputy chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party’s Yasamal district organisation. The case has also raised questions about potential links to other influential individuals or groups. Azerbaijani authorities have vowed to investigate the case rigorously within the framework of international law. Measures to prevent future incidents of this nature are also expected, including stricter oversight of diplomatic activities.

Before his recent role in Saudi Arabia, Mammadov served in various positions in Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defence between 2017 and 2021. His arrest has drawn attention to the risks of misuse of diplomatic privileges and the need for reforms in oversight mechanisms.