Georgia’s State Security Service (SSG) has detained two individuals accused of organizing an illegal land acquisition and construction scheme in the Bakhmaro resort area. One of the suspects is the Deputy Director of “Resort Bakhmaro.”
The investigation revealed that the pair allegedly demanded $11,000 from a citizen in exchange for illegally transferring a state-owned land plot and allowing the construction of cottages without proper authorization. They initially requested a $7,000 advance, assuring the citizen that municipal authorities would not interfere with the illegal construction.
On November 6, 2025, the citizen transferred the requested amount. Shortly afterward, one of the suspects met with the Deputy Director of ‘Resort Bakhmaro’ who was aware of the scheme and reportedly agreed to protect the construction. However, after new municipal leadership was appointed, he refrained from taking the money, yet failed to report the criminal plan to authorities.
Court-authorized covert audio and video recordings corroborated the details of the attempted fraud. The case is being investigated under Articles 19, 180 (Part 3, Subparagraph “b”) and 376 (Part 1) of Georgia’s Criminal Code, covering attempted large-scale fraud and failure to report a serious crime, offenses punishable by six to nine years in prison.
The SSG mentioned that illegal land seizures and unapproved construction remain persistent issues in mountain resort zones such as Bakhmaro. The agency reaffirmed its commitment to combating such practices and warned citizens that similar offenses will face ‘strict legal consequences.’
