450-meter tunnel discovered on the Uzbek-Kazakh border

A 450-meter tunnel intended for smuggling oil products has been dismantled on the Uzbek-Kazakh border, according to a report from Kazinform citing Kazakhstan's Prosecutor General's Office.

The tunnel, constructed by a group of individuals, extended 450 meters beneath the border between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Through this passage, 5-7 tons of oil products were smuggled daily over the course of approximately two months.

Authorities have identified all members of the criminal group involved, which includes Uzbek citizens. Uzbek law enforcement agencies have conducted similar operations along border areas, uncovering related schemes for transferring funds linked to smuggled fuel.

Members of the international criminal group operating in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have been detained, and a preliminary investigation is underway.

Previously, an illegal underground tunnel was discovered in the Tashkent region near the Kazakh border, where authorities seized Indian-manufactured medicines valued at 1 billion sums.