At the Oybek border post, customs officers and border guards detained a freight truck en route from an unnamed neighboring country to Russia, the State Customs Committee said.

As per accompanying documents, the truck was transporting 21.5 tons cotton fiber. However, when the vehicle passed through the customs scanner, an image aroused suspicion that something was hidden in one of the cabin compartments. The truck, under special escort, was delivered to one of the warehouses of the Yangiyul customs post.

“During the customs inspection, the customs officers were also alerted by the surface of the rear of the trailer. The sides and back were different. The rear of the trailer was relatively new.

With the help of a hammer drill, the officers made a small hole, from where a pungent smell leaked out. During the inspection of the vehicle, the service dog also gave a sign about the presence of illegal substances. 107 bales of cotton were unloaded from the trailer, after which it became possible to examine the suspicious part of the truck.

“It was obvious that the surface of the inside was arranged manually. There were several attempts to fix with bolts. And one more important point - fresh traces of glue, which had not yet dried, also indicate that the parts were opened and reassembled,” the State Customs Committee emphasized.

Hidden compartments were opened to reveal 232 packages of drugs, each weighing approximately 1 kg. According to the sharp specific smell, the customs officers suggested that it was heroin.

For the convenience of beneficiaries, the bundles of drugs were wrapped with adhesive tape of different colors. Information about the amount of drugs in each compartment is written on the boxes in which they were located.

The drugs were placed in juice boxes. In order to bring down the sharp specific smell, and also not to attract the attention of customs officers and service dogs, each package was treated with fat of unknown origin.

Laboratory examination confirmed that the drugs were heroin, its net weight was 229.7 kg. As noted in the report, the average price of such a quantity of drugs on the European "black markets" currently averages from 12 to 14 million dollars.

At present, a criminal case has been launched by the customs authorities on the revealed fact, and an investigation is underway.

The Customs Committee added that in 2021, customs and other law enforcement agencies seized more than 531 kg of drugs.