A group of 17 people, including deputy chief of a Customs Committee department, is suspected of illegally organizing a religious group. the State Security Service, which, together with the Interior Ministry, carried out an operation in Tashkent, said.
Reportedly, the group met at night in a Tashkent restaurant and used various religious literature. The group included three customs officers, a student of the Tashkent Oriental Studies University, the deputy director of the technology park, the deputy head of a private driving school, car dealers at Sergeli car market and others.
The suspects are between 24 and 49 years old. According to the investigation, the deputy head of a Customs Committee department "fanatically" devoted himself to religion and since 2021 "regularly conducted unofficial religious lessons." For each lesson, he collected money from the participants and transferred it to the mentors.
The lessons via Telegram were conducted by a 36-year-old Uzbek living in Egypt. According to the report, religious lectures were also given by a student of the University of Oriental Studies.
A criminal case has been opened against the deputy head of a Customs Committee department, an operative officer and a senior inspector of the Customs authority, a university student and other members of the group under Illegal organization of public associations or religious organizations charge. Other persons have also been brought in as suspects in the case.
