A coordinated law enforcement operation in the Surkhandarya province has resulted in the seizure of 37.6 kilograms of narcotics smuggled into Uzbekistan from Afghanistan. The joint sweep, conducted by the State Security Service (DXX), the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Border Troops, and customs authorities, led to the arrest of multiple suspects linked to the drug trafficking ring.
According to the State Security Service, operatives from the DXX Surkhandarya Province Department and the Provincial Police Department intercepted an illegal shipment from Afghanistan consisting of 25 kg 444 grams of opium and 11 kg 86 grams of hashish.
Following the initial seizure, a controlled delivery operation was launched to identify and apprehend the masterminds behind the shipment. Authorities monitored the narcotics as they were transported to Samarkand, where officers arrested four suspects during the handover. The detainees include two Uzbek citizens (born in 1989 and 1997) and two foreign nationals (born in 1993 and 1995).
In a separate joint sting operation at the Termez International Trade Center, DXX operatives, Border Troops, police, and customs officers caught two Afghan citizens red-handed while attempting to sell 1 kg 76 grams of opium to an undercover buyer for $5,000.
A subsequent medical examination during the investigation revealed that the suspects had acted as "human mules," swallowing the narcotics to smuggle them across the border inside their bodies.
Criminal cases have been launched for both incidents under Part 2 of Article 246 (Smuggling) and Part 5 of Article 273 (Illegal sale of narcotics in large quantities) of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan. All suspects have been remanded in custody as the investigation continues.
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