Over 65 kg of Drugs Seized in Uzbekistan During Attempted Smuggling from Tajikistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbek border guards and law enforcement authorities have intercepted several attempts to smuggle and distribute large quantities of drugs illegally brought in from Tajikistan.

According to the press service, in the Fergana region, a Cobalt vehicle driven by a 33-year-old resident of the Besharik district was stopped at the Ravot customs post. During inspection, 53 packages of narcotics were found inside a gas cylinder installed in the trunk. Expert analysis revealed 50.852 kg of opium and 6.927 kg of hashish. It was determined that the driver was transporting the illicit cargo from Dushanbe.

A similar incident occurred in the Samarkand region. In the Narpay district, a Gentra vehicle driven by a 33-year-old resident of the Urgut district was stopped. Authorities discovered 981 g of heroin in the trunk, also smuggled from Tajikistan.

In the Namangan region, SGB and police officers stopped a VAZ-2106 traveling the Andijan–Namangan route. Two brothers, born in 1979 and 1986, were in the car. Authorities seized 1.833 kg of hashish from them, and an additional 1.469 kg was found in one brother’s home. The investigation determined that the drugs were intended for sale. The elder brother had previously been convicted for a similar offense.

In Andijan, law enforcement detained a Kyrgyz citizen born in 1985 who attempted to sell 3.949 kg of hashish for $28,000. The drugs had been retrieved from a stash in the Akhangaran district of Tashkent region, left there by drug couriers from Tajikistan.

Criminal cases have been initiated against all detainees under Articles 246 and 273 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The court has ordered that they be held in custody.