State Security Service seizes over 66 kg of drugs smuggled from Tajikistan

Servicemen of Uzbekistan’s Border Troops under the State Security Service (SSS) prevented an attempt to smuggle a large consignment of drugs, the agency’s press service reported.

In Fergana region’s Besharyk district, a 33-year-old man attempted to cross into Uzbekistan from Tajikistan through the “Ravot” customs post in a Cobalt car. During inspection, 53 packages of drugs were found hidden inside the vehicle’s gas cylinder. Expert analysis confirmed the packages contained 50 kg 852 g of opium and 6 kg 927 g of hashish. It was established that the narcotics had been transported from Dushanbe.

In Samarkand region’s Narpay district, SSS officers, together with the Customs Committee and the Interior Ministry, stopped a Gentra car on the “Samarkand – Navoi” route. A search of the trunk uncovered 981 g of heroin brought in from Tajikistan.

In Namangan region, a joint operation by the SSS and the regional police stopped a VAZ-2106 traveling along the “Andijan – Namangan” route. Inside the vehicle, which carried two brothers born in 1979 and 1986 and residing in Andijan, officers found 1 kg 833 g of hashish. A subsequent search of one of their homes uncovered an additional 1 kg 469 g of hashish. Investigators determined the drugs had been smuggled from Tajikistan for resale. The elder brother had previously been convicted for drug trafficking crimes.

In another case, a 40-year-old resident of Osh (Kyrgyzstan) was detained in Andijan while attempting to sell 3 kg 949 g of hashish to an undercover buyer for $28,000. The drugs had been obtained from a stash in Akhangaran district of Tashkent region, where they had earlier been left by Tajik drug couriers.

Criminal cases have been initiated against all detainees under Articles 246 (“Smuggling”) and 273 (“Illegal production, acquisition, storage, transportation or sale of narcotic drugs”) of the Criminal Code, and they have been remanded in custody.