Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Law enforcement authorities have uncovered a large stash of unregistered pharmaceutical products during a special operation in the Almazar district of the capital.

The discovery was made in the basement of a residential building owned by a 74-year-old man and his 45-year-old son. A total of 3,615 packages of medicines representing 72 different types — including Trenaxa, Sumamigren, and Femilex — were seized. The market value of the confiscated products is estimated at over 1 billion Uzbek soums.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects regularly acquired the drugs at reduced prices in parts of the Fergana Valley, where the medications had been illegally imported, and then sold them in Tashkent.

According to the Center for Pharmaceutical Safety, the seized drugs were not listed in the State Register, were uncertified, and had been stored in violation of sanitary and technical standards. As such, their storage, transportation, sale, and use are strictly prohibited in Uzbekistan.

A criminal case has been opened under paragraph “a”, part 3, Article 186³ in combination with Article 25 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Investigative procedures are ongoing.

In a separate joint operation conducted in coordination with the Department for Combating Economic Crimes, another major cache of dubious pharmaceuticals was found in a Tashkent pharmacy.

As a result of the inspection, 57,407 units of medicines from 456 different product names, 835 empty boxes resembling original packaging, and a device used for illicit drug manufacturing were seized as physical evidence.

Experts estimate the total value of these items to be approximately 3.5 billion soums. The investigation revealed that 160 product names were not registered in the State Register, 274 lacked proper certification, 50 were expired or substandard, and 7 were counterfeit.

A separate criminal case has been initiated under the same article of the Criminal Code against the pharmacy's responsible personnel and other involved individuals. The investigation is ongoing.