diff --git a/aptly-promote-pipeline.groovy b/aptly-promote-pipeline.groovy
index bf73bec..ec058ce 100644
--- a/aptly-promote-pipeline.groovy
+++ b/aptly-promote-pipeline.groovy
@@ -30,15 +30,19 @@
         try {
             stage("promote") {
                 // promote is restricted to users in aptly-promote-users LDAP group
-                lock("aptly-api") {
-                    for (storage in storages) {
-                        if (storage == "local") {
-                            storage = ""
-                        }
-                        retry(2) {
-                            aptly.promotePublish(APTLY_URL, SOURCE, TARGET, RECREATE, components, packages, DIFF_ONLY, '-d --timeout 600', DUMP_PUBLISH.toBoolean(), storage)
-                        }
-                    }
+                if(jenkinsUtils.currentUserInGroups(["mcp-cicd-admins", "release-engineering"])){
+                  lock("aptly-api") {
+                      for (storage in storages) {
+                          if (storage == "local") {
+                              storage = ""
+                          }
+                          retry(2) {
+                              aptly.promotePublish(APTLY_URL, SOURCE, TARGET, RECREATE, components, packages, DIFF_ONLY, '-d --timeout 600', DUMP_PUBLISH.toBoolean(), storage)
+                          }
+                      }
+                  }
+                }else{
+                  throw new Exception(String.format("You don't have permissions to make aptly promote from source:%s to target:%s! Only CI/CD and QA team can perform aptly promote.", SOURCE, TARGET))
                 }
             }
         } catch (Throwable e) {
@@ -60,4 +64,3 @@
         }
     }
 }
-