Uzbekistan seizes 1.2 tons of drugs in five months

Uzbekistan seized nearly 1.2 tons of narcotic substances and detained 59 major drug-related criminal groups during operational measures conducted by relevant agencies in the first five months of this year.

From January to May this year, law enforcement agencies exposed 59 major organized drug-related criminal groups during comprehensive operational measures aimed at combating organized drug crime and the activities of organized criminal groups. Fifteen leaders and 199 members of these groups were detained. In addition, 15 clandestine drug laboratories were discovered.

This figure exceeds the number of laboratories identified throughout the whole of last year. During the operations, authorities also seized 1.2 tons of traditional narcotic substances, 54 kilograms of synthetic drugs, 4.6 million psychotropic pills and more than 3 tons of illegal precursors.

As part of efforts to combat drug-related crime, seven international operations were carried out in cooperation with the competent authorities of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Analysis shows that the illegal circulation of narcotic substances has decreased, while their sale has become more difficult, leading to a significant rise in black-market prices.

As part of the broader fight against organized crime, the activities of 40 major criminal groups were stopped. Forty-eight of their leaders, including six detained in foreign countries, were captured and brought to Uzbekistan. In addition, 224 members of these groups were detained.

According to the information obtained, these criminal groups were involved in robbery, hooliganism and extortion in 50 cities and districts across the country. They also committed serious and especially serious crimes, including obstructing business activities and causing bodily harm to citizens.

Earlier, it was reported that more than 18,000 poppy and cannabis plants had been identified and destroyed during an operation conducted with the help of a helicopter in Fergana, Andijan and Tashkent regions.