Uzbekistan Police Bust Illegal Cockfighting Ring in Fergana

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbek police have shut down a clandestine cockfighting and gambling operation on a poultry farm in Fergana Oblast, detaining approximately 60 participants and spectators in a single sweep.

Officers from the internal affairs department raided a concealed fighting pit on a farm in the Doʻstlik mahalla of Bedarak, in the Baghdod district of Fergana Oblast. Around 60 people were present at the time — drawn from multiple districts across the region — either as active participants or onlookers.

Investigators seized four fighting roosters, a set of scales, 24 million Uzbek soums, and $1,100 in cash as material evidence. The organizer had reportedly constructed a hidden arena on the farm's premises and was collecting a 20% commission on every wager placed. Individual bets ranged from 3 million to 10 million soums per bout.

Procedural documents have been filed against all 60 individuals present — organizer, participants, and spectators alike. A pre-investigation review is currently underway.

The case underscores ongoing law enforcement pressure on illegal gambling networks in Uzbekistan's regions, where such operations are periodically dismantled but continue to surface in rural and peri-urban settings.