Law enforcement blocks sale of $120,000 in forged US currency

Law enforcement operations across two regions of Uzbekistan have successfully prevented the circulation of $120,000 in counterfeit currency. The operations were executed by the Department for Combating Economic Crimes under the Prosecutor General’s Office, working in close coordination with other security agencies.

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The first transaction was intercepted in Angren, Tashkent region. Investigators detained three individuals, including one suspect with a prior criminal record, at the exact moment they attempted to distribute 800 forged $100 banknotes. The group had arranged to swap the $80,000 in counterfeit currency for $40,000 in genuine, legal-tender US bills.

A separate enforcement sweep in Navoi region targeted a suspect identified as I.K., who had finalized a deal to sell $40,000 in counterfeit currency in exchange for $28,000 in authentic cash. Prior to his arrest, the suspect had already succeeded in offloading an initial batch of $10,000 in fake bills to an unsuspecting buyer.

Following the arrests, regional branches of the Prosecutor General's Office formally initiated criminal proceedings against all detained participants. The suspects face charges under Article 168 (fraud) and Article 176 (manufacturing or counterfeiting of currency, excise stamps, or securities) of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan. Comprehensive investigative measures remain underway to uncover the domestic printing sources of the fraudulent notes and locate any additional distributed currency.