Uzbek Authorities Seize 17 kg of Synthetic Drugs from Criminal Group

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — As part of the nationwide operation “Safe and Healthy Country,” officers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and the National Security Service (NSS) dismantled an organized group involved in distributing large quantities of synthetic drugs, the MIA press service reported.

The operation began in the city with the stop of a Cobalt vehicle driven by a 28-year-old man. A search of the car uncovered 83 grams of mephedrone. Subsequently, three more group members, aged 18, were detained in Yunusabad district with 730 prepackaged doses of mephedrone in their bag and 354 wraps of alpha-PVP and 500 grams of mephedrone in a rented apartment.

During the arrest of the group leader, a 41-year-old warehouse manager, authorities seized 4.2 kg of alpha-PVP, 9 kg of mephedrone, and other evidence used for packaging the drugs at his residence.

In total, the operation prevented the distribution of 17 kg of synthetic narcotics, equivalent to approximately 85,000 individual doses.

A criminal case has been opened under Article 273, Part 5 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan (illegal production, acquisition, storage, or trafficking of narcotics or psychotropic substances for sale). All detainees have been remanded in custody.