Court Sentences Drug Traffickers to 15 Years in Prison for Attempted Smuggling of Opium and Hashish

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — In August 2025, a joint operation was conducted in the Uzun District of Surkhandarya Region as part of systematic efforts to combat smuggling and the illegal circulation of narcotic substances. The operation involved the Border Troops of the State Security Service, the territorial department of the State Security Service for Surkhandarya Region, and the regional Department of Internal Affairs.

During the operation, law enforcement officers detained two local residents, born in 2005 and 2006, at the moment they attempted to illegally cross the state border. Investigations revealed that they were trying to bring a large consignment of narcotics into Uzbekistan from the territory of the Republic of Tajikistan, consisting of 20.374 kilograms of opium and 41.668 kilograms of hashish.

As the operational activities continued, other participants in the criminal scheme were identified and apprehended. This included two residents of Uzun District, born in 2000 and 2004, as well as the alleged organizer of the drug shipment, a resident of Denov born in 2000.

All suspects were detained in accordance with procedural law, and a criminal case was opened with a full range of investigative measures carried out.

According to the verdict of the Uzun District Criminal Court, the defendants were found guilty under Articles 223, 246, and 273 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan, covering illegal border crossing, smuggling, and the unlawful circulation of narcotic substances. Each of the convicted individuals was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment.