Couple caught smuggling opium concealed inside their bodies in Samarkand

On 14 February, customs officers in Samarkand Region detained two foreign nationals who allegedly attempted to bring 796 grams of opium into Uzbekistan illegally through the Jartepa border customs post, the regional Customs Department reported.

According to the report, the pair arrived from a neighboring country and were subjected to inspection by customs officers. During screening, a female passenger was checked using a body scanner, which indicated three packages concealed inside her body. In the presence of medical staff, the packages were removed and found to contain a total of 255 grams of opium.

Her husband, who was traveling with her, was immediately placed under surveillance by law enforcement officers and taken to a hospital in Samarkand. A medical examination reportedly resulted in the removal of four packages from inside his body. Those packages were found to contain 541 grams of opium.

In total, authorities say they prevented an attempt to illegally import 796 grams of opium. An inquiry is currently underway.

Earlier, a 19-year-old woman in Tashkent was detained after allegedly trying to bring narcotics from abroad hidden among sweets. She was reportedly transporting the drugs to Tashkent after receiving them from a location where couriers had left them in a “stash” drop.