Attempt to Smuggle Hashish from Kyrgyzstan Foiled in Andijan Region

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — In Kurgontepa, a group of six local residents was detained on suspicion of purchasing and transporting 2 kilograms of hashish, according to the State Security Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Investigators report that the men, born between 1984 and 1991, had arranged to buy the drug from a Kyrgyz citizen for 15,000 US dollars, paying an advance of 1,950 dollars. The narcotics were illegally smuggled across the Uzbek-Kyrgyz border and secretly stashed in Khanabad.

One courier was caught transporting the hashish by car along the Khanabad–Kurgontepa route. During follow-up investigative operations, the other five members of the group were also apprehended.

Forensic examination determined the net weight of the seized drugs to be 1 kilogram 954 grams.

A criminal case has been opened against the suspects under Articles 246, Part 2, 25, and 273, Part 5 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The court has ordered pre-trial detention as a preventive measure.