In 2025, Uzbekistan recorded 177 cases related to human trafficking, with 92 of these involving sexual exploitation. This was announced by Odilbek Urinov, Chief Specialist of the Operational Search Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), during a press conference on April 11. He emphasized that human trafficking in the country currently manifests primarily in three forms: sexual exploitation, labor exploitation, and infant trafficking.

According to Urinov, awareness campaigns among the population and increased knowledge of citizens' rights have led to significant regulation of issues related to infant trafficking and forced labor. However, crimes involving sexual exploitation constitute the main part of human trafficking. Of the 177 cases in 2025, 92 fell into this category, with internal affairs officers intercepting 72 women at airports, thereby preventing them from becoming victims of sexual exploitation.

The MIA specialist analyzed the causes of sexual exploitation cases. Factors such as the creation of semi-nude content by network users or bloggers, the promotion of mass culture, and the glorification of easy money are leading young women to believe in false ideas and travel abroad in search of quick income. In January-March 2026, 57 cases related to human trafficking were identified.

It is worth recalling that last year, Uzbekistan strengthened penalties for human trafficking. Specifically, committing this crime using forged documents now carries a prison sentence of 5 to 10 years (previously 5 to 8 years). If the crime results in the death of the victim, the perpetrator faces 10 to 15 years of imprisonment.

Source: www.gazeta.uz