Azerbaijan says it has confiscated more than 1 million medical masks from several groups, including foreigners, who planned to illegally smuggle them out of the South Caucasus nation as countries around the world scramble for equipment to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The Interior Ministry said on March 9 that the smugglers, who have been detained by police, included Iranian, Chinese, and Azerbaijani nationals.
Shortages of medical masks have arisen in many countries where the deadly coronavirus has been reported since the outbreak was first detected in December in China, which has reported more than 80,000 coronavirus cases and more than 3,000 deaths linked to it.
Iran's Health Ministry reported on March 8 that COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, has killed 194 people in the country, with the number of confirmed coronavirus infections at over 6,500.
Azerbaijan Catches Smugglers Trying To Sneak Out 1 Million Medical Masks

Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
'Escalation? The Russians Have Already Escalated': Former Estonian Spy Chief On Why The West Should Continue To Support Ukraine
2American Investor Known For Russian Nightclub, Pro-Ukrainian Stances, Found Dead In Washington
3Ukraine Says Kherson Attack Repelled, Kharkiv Hit By Deadly Russian Bombing
4Russians Blame 'Sabotage' For Blasts At Crimean Ammo Depot; Kyiv Hints At Role
5Estonia Removes Soviet WWII Memorial In Border City
6Tank Warfare Plays Crucial Role In Battle For The Donbas
7Fit For Fighting: Combat Training For Civilians Now Part Of Ukraine's Wartime Lifestyle
8China Says It Will Send Troops To Russia For Joint Military Drills
9No Cash, No Medicine: Evacuees From Ukraine's South Recount Life Under Russian Control
10Estonia's Contentious Soviet Monuments
Subscribe