The head of Caspian Logistics Solutions, former director of SOCAR Trading and senior executive of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), Adnan Ahmadzade, has been detained in Baku. According to media reports, officers of the State Security Service of Azerbaijan placed him under four months of pre-trial detention. Ahmadzade is currently being held at the SSS detention facility. The Sabail District Court of Baku formally ruled on his arrest at a hearing on Saturday.
Reports by Qafqazinfo indicate that Ahmadzade is charged with crimes categorized as “particularly grave.” The main charge of large-scale embezzlement alone carries a sentence of 10 to 14 years in prison, while additional accusations of abuse of official powers and undermining economic security could further increase the severity of the punishment. Investigators are currently analyzing his financial operations, business contacts, and the mechanisms behind the alleged crimes. Given his assets in Azerbaijan and abroad, his testimony and the evidence collected may play a key role in the ongoing case.
Earlier, unofficial reports had suggested that the detention could also be connected to an investigation into the contamination of Azerbaijani crude oil in July 2025, when a tanker delivered to one of Baku’s terminals was found to contain hazardous organochlorine compounds. The incident raised serious questions about SOCAR’s acceptance of the cargo and the responsibility of those overseeing technical controls.
After leaving SOCAR in 2018, Ahmadzade founded Caspian Logistics Solutions, headquartered in Dubai. The company specializes in rail, sea, and road freight, as well as integrated solutions for the transportation of dry cargo. Among its partners are the Govsan port and several logistics operators in Azerbaijan.
Beyond his professional activities in the oil and logistics sectors, Ahmadzade’s name has also appeared in Azerbaijani media in connection with the world of show business and sports. According to milli.az, he was involved in organizing the visit of football legend Ronaldinho to Baku. The outlet musavat.com reported on his “family-like friendship” with Lionel Messi, whose photo with Ahmadzade, posted on social media, drew wide public attention. Other media also claimed that Ahmadzade played a role in arranging the visit of Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, to Baku.
No official comments have yet been issued by SOCAR or Caspian Logistics Solutions.
