Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Officers of the State Security Service of Uzbekistan, in cooperation with customs authorities, conducted a special operation at the "Navoi" border customs post, located in Tashkent district of Tashkent region.

During the operation, a Chevrolet Lacetti heading to a neighboring country was stopped. Upon inspecting the vehicle in the presence of witnesses, law enforcement officers discovered a plastic bag containing US$874,000 in possession of a passenger—a resident of Tashkent district born in 1978.

It was established that the individual attempted to illegally transport a large sum of foreign currency to Kazakhstan, concealing it from customs control and failing to declare it.

Further investigative measures led to the identification of the source of the confiscated funds. It was revealed that the money had been collected from traders at Tashkent markets and handed over to a detained woman. A subsequent search of a temporary residence belonging to a Tashkent resident, born in 1989, uncovered an additional US$399,170, which was also being prepared for illegal transfer to Kazakhstan.

As part of the special operation, a total of US$1.27 million was seized and recognized as material evidence.

A criminal case has been initiated under Part 2 of Article 25-182 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan (large-scale smuggling). The individuals involved have been taken into custody as a preventive measure, and an investigation is currently underway.