Action was taken in Tashkent to destroy illegal tobacco products.

Representatives of the customs service and law enforcement officers burned 25,000 blocks of illegal cigarettes in a special oven.  The total value of the destroyed products was 175 million soms.

According to the representatives of the customs service, during the first 9 months of this year, the customs service of Uzbekistan recorded 269 cases of violations of the law and confiscated 1 million 458 thousand 736 blocks of cigarettes with a total value of 17.8 billion sums.  Law enforcement agencies opened 60 criminal and 175 administrative cases against the guilty persons.

Otabek Choriyev, Deputy Chairman of the State Customs Service of Uzbekistan:

-Why do I equate illegal cigarettes with drugs – because smugglers hide them in unexpected places when importing them.

For example, they fill a large part of the gas tank with contraband, wear oversized clothes, and fasten the prohibited goods to their bodies.

The public destruction of the product and the severe punishment of the perpetrators is a great demonstration of the sacrifice of freedom and money by entrepreneurs involved in the illegal trade.  But in order for the result to be noticeable, it is necessary to conduct such activities regularly! Interestingly, according to research, 64% of smokers of contraband cigarettes sacrifice the quality and level of the product, because they cannot get legally sold cigarettes.