Heading to Georgia? Israeli Travelers Are Being Detained Over Medication in Their Luggage

What was supposed to be a quick trip abroad recently turned into a nightmare for Michael Sorfin, 29, from Be’er Sheva. Michael and his wife landed at the airport in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, where they were immediately held for a thorough inspection in a side room. Inside their luggage, local security personnel found Attent pills — a regulated medication that Michael has been taking legally for 12 years with a valid prescription.

Despite his explanations and the documents he presented, the police made it clear that this was considered a serious offense that would cost him dearly. He was detained, his passport was taken, and he was released to a hotel only on the condition that he not leave the city until lab results came back. "The Georgians simply found a cynical way to exploit tourists. This has to be stopped — we can’t stay silent," Michael told News 12, after he was forced to hire a local attorney and pay a steep fine of 27,500 shekels in order to be released and return safely to Israel. He is now trying to cover the heavy expenses through a crowdfunding campaign.

It turns out this was not an isolated incident. Just recently, two Israelis were arrested during a connecting flight in the country and were hit with an unprecedented fine of about 1 million shekels. In another case, a resident of central Israel was detained for many weeks over routine pills he had with him.

In response to the growing number of cases, Israel’s Foreign Ministry has issued an official warning, stressing that authorities in Georgia are enforcing the laws in an extreme manner, even when it comes to medications that are sold in Israel without a prescription. The ministry recommends checking in advance the list of permitted substances, always carrying a medical prescription translated into English with a notary stamp, and keeping medications only in carry-on luggage and only in quantities intended for personal use. In any case of doubt, travelers are advised to contact the embassy before the flight.