AZE.US
Police in Baku have detained a taxi driver after finding a Kalashnikov assault rifle inside his vehicle, a case that has raised concerns because the weapon was discovered in a car used for passenger transport.
The incident took place on Gara Garayev Avenue in the capital’s Nizami district. Police officers stopped a Changan Qiyuan A05 used for taxi activity. During the inspection, they found an AK-74 assault rifle, six cartridges and one magazine. The weapon and ammunition were seized, and the driver was detained. A court later ordered his arrest as a pre-trial measure.
Lawyer Akram Hasanov told Demokrat.az that such cases fall under Article 228 of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code, which covers the illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation or carrying of weapons, weapon parts, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices.
According to Hasanov, illegal possession of a firearm may carry a prison sentence of three to five years. In more serious cases, including illegal sale or aggravating circumstances, the punishment may rise to up to eight years in prison.
He noted that this applies to illegal arms circulation. If a weapon is used in another crime, including acts connected to terrorism, the case may be prosecuted under separate articles carrying much tougher penalties.
The discovery is particularly alarming because of where it happened. A taxi is a public-facing service used by thousands of people, not a private closed space. Finding a combat rifle in such a vehicle turns an ordinary ride into a potential public safety risk and raises fresh questions about control in the passenger transport sector.
AZE.US