[1] Mahmudov frequently represented Azerbaijan in the work of several international organisations and at different conferences and seminars dedicated to the issues of war on terrorism, corruption, human trafficking, and the illegal drugs trade held in different countries around the world.

[1][2] On July 24, 2004 he was appointed the Minister of National Security[3] by President Ilham Aliyev[4] and awarded the military rank of Major General.

[5] In May 2012 in a major widespread operation across Azerbaijan, an attempt on the life of President Aliev was prevented, as was a planned terrorist atrocity at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku.

The thwarted attempt on the life of President Aliyev was in the north-western region of Azerbaijan, where Ministry of National Security forces took decisive action to neutralise the threat.

A transnational terrorist group had planned a co-ordinated attack designed to kill and maim the maximum number of victims, targeting landmark locations where widespread casualties would be caused.

The terrorists had specifically targeted the Eurovision 2012 contest in Baku, hoping to commit an international atrocity that would attract worldwide attention.

[8] The terrorists had planted explosive devices in cars outside various hotels and the Eurovision 2012 venue, but the anti-terrorism measures adopted by the Ministry of National Security foiled the attempt to cause widespread casualties.

[10][11] In March 2005 Mahmudov implemented Operation Black Belt to rescue Zamira Hajiyeva, the wife of the Chairman of the International Bank of Azerbaijan, Jahangir Hajiyev, who had been kidnapped by a criminal gang in February 2005.

Its aim was to confront and neutralise the leaders of the Forest Brothers gang, a notorious terrorist group based in the Qusar region of Azerbaijan.

In April 2007 it was reported that an organised crime group had been intercepted smuggling drugs along the Iran-Azerbaijan-Russia-Japan route and 68 kg of narcotics had been seized.

[16] In June 2007 it was announced that the Ministry of National Security had prevented over 250 kg of narcotics from being distributed by criminal gangs, through intelligence led operations.

In July an organised drug smuggling group was intercepted in a joint operation between the Ministry of National Security and the Azerbaijan State Border Service.