Azerbaijan stinks of money, oil and corrupt policemen!

It took me 2 ½ hrs to enter the country and I had to pay 20$ to the chief of police. I know 20$ is not much, but corrupt is corrupt. After leaving his office, 2 customs officers tried to get money from me as well. The chief of the police noticed this and blamed the publicly, although it was HE who had my 20$ in the pocket.

On my drive to Baku and back, I have been stopped 10 times by police patrols. Only 2 were regular controls, all the others wanted just one thing: my money. They used the most incredible arguments for me to pay. The most unbelievable was probably that from a police man who wanted to fine me because my car hat tinted windows at the back. I only paid the first time (Illegal crossing of a white line?) than I always refused to pay. After some discussions and my threatening to complain to my ambassador they always let me go. On one of these discussions I was in the police building, when another police officer came in, and,  hearing that I did not want to pay, accused me of not having put on my safety belt, although he did not even see me!

Back in the customs, the chief policeman and 3 customs officers asked for money again, but I refused loud and clear.

Although I met really great people in Baku, mainly Bulent and his family, and also Ramiza, my guide for one day, all these bribery attempts left such a negative impact on me that I will never enter this country again!

Bulent and his family. Her arranged a lot of things for me in Baku, and we had dinner together at his home