Tashkent, Uzbekistan – AN Podrobno.uz. Law enforcement in Uzbekistan's Navoi region has cracked down on several instances of illegal gold mining, ore processing, and home-based mini-workshops. Officers from the Department under the General Prosecutor's Office and other specialized agencies seized hundreds of kilograms of raw materials containing precious metals during operational raids.

In the Tomdi district, a citizen and his accomplices were detained while illegally mining ore in the "Bessopan" industrial zone. Authorities confiscated 5,200 pieces of rock containing approximately 315 grams of gold. The total value of the seized raw materials is estimated at nearly 570 million Uzbek soums.

In the Konimex district, two individuals were found to have been engaged in artisanal gold mining by prior conspiracy. They used specialized equipment to extract gold-bearing sand and stones.

Two more cases were recorded in the Khatyrchi district, where local residents had set up mini-production facilities on their plots to extract gold from sand and stones. In one instance, 160 kilograms of gold-containing raw material was seized; in another, an additional 300 kilograms.

Criminal cases have been initiated under the article on illegal mining of minerals for all identified episodes. Investigative actions are ongoing.

These are not the first instances of prospecting in the Navoi region. Previously, law enforcement suppressed the activities of several groups involved in illegal gold mining and processing. Underground artels caused damage to the state and the environment amounting to over 13 billion soums.

Source: podrobno.uz