Attempt to Smuggle Nearly 8 kg of Gold Thwarted in Andijan Region

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Law enforcement authorities in Uzbekistan have prevented an attempt to illegally export a large quantity of gold from the country.

The operation was conducted in the Khodjaabad district of Andijan region jointly by officers of the State Security Service and the Internal Security Department of the Customs Committee.

Near the “Dustlik” border customs post, a resident of Fergana region, born in 1994, was stopped.

During the inspection of his bag, conducted in the presence of witnesses, officers discovered three metal car spare parts covered with an iron casing.

Upon dismantling the items using specialized technical equipment, it was revealed that gold bars had been carefully concealed inside.

The total weight of the seized precious metal amounted to 7 kilograms and 784 grams. Experts estimate the value of the gold at over 12 billion 465 million soums.

The investigation established that the gold had been sent from Tashkent and was intended for delivery to a recipient in the Kyrgyz Republic. The suspect, it is believed, was supposed to smuggle the precious metal across the border using truck drivers, bypassing customs control.

A criminal case has been initiated under Article 25 and Article 182, Part 2, Clause “a” of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The suspect has been placed in pre-trial detention.

Investigative actions are ongoing to identify the individuals who are the actual owners of the seized gold.