Surkhandarya Police Thwart Human Trafficking Attempt

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Internal affairs officers in the Surkhandarya region have thwarted a human trafficking operation. The sting operation was conducted by personnel from the Operational Search Service of the regional Internal Affairs Department and its local territorial units within the framework of the "Safe and Healthy Country" campaign month.

According to law enforcement agencies, a woman born in 2005, a native of the Angor district, planned to send two women to Istanbul for prostitution in exchange for financial reward.

Investigating officers established that the suspect had purchased flight tickets on the Termez-Istanbul route under the victims' names, valued at US$580 each. Following this, the victims were supposed to transfer funds amounting to US$6,000 to her.

The suspect was detained during the law enforcement operation at Termez International Airport while she was accompanying the victims prior to their departure to Istanbul.

A criminal case has been initiated regarding the incident under part two of Article 135 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The suspect has been placed in custody as a preventive measure.

Penalties for human trafficking offenses have been tightened starting this year. Such acts carry a punishment of imprisonment for a term ranging from 5 to 15 years.

Law enforcement authorities urged citizens to exercise caution when considering high-paying job offers abroad and to avoid trusting questionable arrangements t