Transnational Drug Group Dismantled in Uzbekistan: 111 kg of Narcotics Seized

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — During a joint international operation involving the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Security Service, and the Customs Service, authorities in Uzbekistan seized 111 kilograms of narcotics, including 81 kilograms of hashish and 30 kilograms of opium.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the operation was aimed at combating transnational organized drug crime. As a result of coordinated actions, law enforcement agencies were able to identify and halt the activities of an international drug group operating within the country.

Six members of the criminal organization were detained in the Fergana, Andijan, and Tashkent regions. On 13 September, a local resident was arrested in Fergana while receiving a shipment of narcotics. In Andijan, two members of the group were detained while attempting to retrieve ten kilograms of hashish from a hidden cache.

Two other participants were apprehended in a café while trying to purchase one kilogram of opium for six thousand dollars. In the city of Angren, Tashkent region, a previously convicted man was arrested while receiving five kilograms of opium.

According to authorities, the transnational group had been distributing narcotics for several years across the Fergana, Andijan, and Tashkent regions, as well as in the capital. Criminal cases have been opened for all identified incidents, and investigative measures are ongoing. Law enforcement agencies continue efforts to locate and apprehend the remaining members of the criminal network.