Group that built secret pipeline to Uzbekistan sentenced to prison

The Turkestan Regional Court of Kazakhstan has sentenced five people accused of smuggling gasoline. They were found guilty of illegally transporting large quantities of AI-92 fuel across the border, Nur.kz reported.

The case was heard by the Turkestan Regional Court for criminal cases. The defendants were charged with creating and leading a transnational organized criminal group, participating in it, and committing theft, storage, transportation, and sale of petroleum products in large quantities, as well as their illegal transportation across the state border (Article 264, Parts 1-2; Article 197, Part 4, Clauses 1-2; Article 234, Part 3, Clause 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan).

According to court documents, in July 2024, one of the defendants, seeking to profit from high gasoline prices in Uzbekistan, colluded with an Uzbek citizen he knew to organize illegal activities. He created and led a transnational organized criminal group, recruiting four others, including Uzbek citizens.

Investigators established that the group built a 375-meter underground pipeline from a farmyard in the village of Sarkirama, Syrdarya district. Part of the pipeline ran through Kazakhstan, while the rest extended into Uzbekistan. Between August and December 2024, the group bypassed customs control and illegally transported 420 tons of AI-92 gasoline across the border, valued at 112 million 512 thousand tenge.

The prosecutor demanded a 15-year prison sentence for the group leader and 12 years for the others. The defendants, however, denied the charges and requested acquittal. The court considered the fact that they had young children as a mitigating circumstance, while no aggravating circumstances were identified. On August 18, the court sentenced the leader of the group to 15 years in prison and the other four to 13 years each.

During the search, 3 million tenge, 16 thousand liters of AI-92 gasoline, and ZIL and GAZ trucks were seized and transferred to the state. The verdict has not yet entered into legal force.

It is worth noting that in December 2024, Kazakh authorities reported the exposure of a criminal group involved in fuel smuggling across the Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan border. A 450-meter secret tunnel used for smuggling was destroyed. According to the prosecutor’s office, 5–7 tons of fuel were trafficked through the tunnel daily. Following this, all suspects, including Uzbek citizens, were identified. In July 2025, five Kazakh citizens were named suspects, the investigation was completed, and the case was sent to court.