Over 1,000 Bottles of Tropicamide Seized in Ferghana Region

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Law enforcement agencies in the Ferghana region have disrupted the activities of a group suspected of trafficking potent medicinal preparations. During a special operation, 1,000 bottles of the drug Tropicamide and 14 packages of the drug Regapen were removed from illegal circulation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced.

The operational event took place as part of the second stage of the "Safe and Healthy Country" preventative monthly initiative.

Employees of the Operational-Search Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, together with regional divisions, carried out the special operation in Kokand.

According to the investigation, a woman born in 1997, who was previously convicted twice under Article 273 of the Criminal Code, along with a female relative born in 2006 who resides with her, kept 400 bottles of Tropicamide and 14 packages of Regapen in equipped hiding places in the basement of a house for the purpose of subsequent sale.

During further operational measures, another alleged participant in the group was detained—a man born in 1993 who was previously convicted under Article 169 of the Criminal Code.

When inspecting the Gentra vehicle he was driving, law enforcement officers discovered an additional 600 bottles of Tropicamide, which investigators believe were prepared for further distribution.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, operational and search measures also established that the detained man had been engaged in smuggling potent medicinal preparations from abroad and their subsequent sale for five years.

According to the department's assessment, the seized drugs are equivalent to 12,514 doses of potent medicinal substances.

A criminal case has been initiated regarding this fact under paragraph "v" of part three of Article 276¹⁶ of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which stipulates liability for the illegal circulation of potent or poisonous substances that are not classified as narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, or their analogues.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs urged citizens to report facts of the illegal circulation of potent drugs via the Telegram bot @stopnarko_bot or through the hotlines of the department's Call Center.