The State Security Service of Uzbekistan has reported the seizure of nearly 38 kilograms of smuggled narcotics originating from Afghanistan. The agency stated that the bulk of the shipment was identified and confiscated in the Surkhandarya region, and individuals linked to the case have also been arrested.
According to the State Security Service of Uzbekistan, security forces and police conducted a joint operation in the Surkhandarya region, during which more than 37 kilograms of narcotics that had been illegally brought into Uzbekistan from Afghanistan were discovered and seized.
The shipment included 25 kilograms and 444 grams of opium and 11 kilograms and 86 grams of hashish. Uzbek authorities said the drugs had been transported into the country across the Afghan border.
The State Security Service also reported that, following the seizure, a controlled operation was carried out to identify the final recipients of the drugs in the city of Samarkand. As a result of this operation, two Uzbek citizens and two foreign nationals were arrested while receiving the shipment.
In a separate operation conducted at the Termez International Trade Center, security forces also detained two Afghan citizens. According to officials, they had intended to sell 1 kilogram and 76 grams of opium worth approximately 5,000 US dollars.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the two suspects used body concealment and internal smuggling methods, including swallowing drug-filled packages, to covertly transport narcotics into Uzbekistan.
Judicial authorities in Uzbekistan have stated that criminal cases have been opened against the suspects under Articles 246 and 273 of the country’s Criminal Code. The court has also ordered pre-trial detention for all suspects, and investigations and interrogations are ongoing.
Security forces in Uzbekistan had previously also seized nearly 600 kilograms of narcotics in the Surkhandarya region, which borders Afghanistan.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
