Employees of the State Security Service (SSS) have prevented the export of more than $1 million of currency from the country.

According to the press service of the department, two drivers of the Uzbekistan Railways locomotive depot were detained while trying to illegally export $971.5 thousand, €47.7 thousand euros and 3.4 million Russian rubles to Kazakhstan. The money was hidden in the electric locomotive of the freight train controlled by them, which followed the Chukursay-Saryagash route.

During a re-inspection of the electric locomotive at the Keles railway station, $1,050 hidden under the driver’s seat was found.

The total value of the seized foreign currency in the equivalent of national currency amounted to 11.2 billion soums ($1.06 million).

During the preliminary investigation, it was found out that a resident of the Zangiota district of Tashkent region, who was later detained during the operational event, handed over the money to the drivers for export to Kazakhstan.

It was also established that for the illegal export of foreign currency to the neighboring country, drivers received $300.