Authorities in Uzbekistan have detained two suspects in Tashkent and Samarkand region for attempting to illegally sell land plots by promising to process documents through "contacts" in cadastral services. The cases highlight ongoing issues with corruption and fraud in the country's land sector.

In Tashkent, a man was apprehended while receiving $20,000 for the purported re-registration of a 24-hundred-square-meter plot in the Zangiota district. He had allegedly promised to transfer land from the state reserve in the "Buston" neighborhood to a buyer, claiming he had connections within cadastral agencies to facilitate the illegal transaction.

A similar incident occurred in the Kattakurgan district of Samarkand region, where a local resident attempted to sell a 13-hundred-square-meter plot for $39,000. Notably, 5 hundred square meters of this land were located within a protected railway zone. The suspect was detained while receiving a $5,000 advance payment, after assuring the buyer he could legalize the documents through his network of contacts.

Criminal cases have been initiated under Article 168 ("Fraud") and Article 211 via Article 28 ("Aiding in Bribery") of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan. Investigations are ongoing to identify any accomplices within cadastral services and uncover the full extent of these schemes.

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, these arrests underscore persistent challenges in Uzbekistan's land management system, where illegal sales and corruption remain prevalent despite governmental efforts to curb such practices. Similar cases have been reported across various regions, pointing to systemic vulnerabilities that continue to enable fraudulent activities.

Source: kun.uz