Customs officers at Tashkent International Airport have thwarted two attempts to smuggle drugs from Thailand, seizing a total of nearly 12 kilograms of narcotics, according to the State Customs Committee.

In the first case, a 44-year-old passenger arriving from Bangkok tried to pass through the green channel but aroused suspicion. A search of his hand luggage and baggage revealed over 4.8 kilograms of marijuana.

The second incident involved a 19-year-old citizen of a neighboring country arriving from Phuket. Customs officers noticed packages labeled as milk powder in his luggage. Laboratory analysis confirmed that the 10 packages contained not milk powder but 7 kilograms and 180 grams of mephedrone, a synthetic drug.

The passenger reportedly agreed to deliver the substance to Tashkent for $1,000 on the instructions of an unknown person he met on Telegram. Criminal cases have been opened in both instances.

The Customs Committee added that in the first half of 2026, over 400 cases of illegal drug trafficking were detected, with nearly 1.76 tons of banned substances seized.

Earlier, law enforcement discovered and confiscated a large batch of heavy drugs, including opium and hashish, near the Kuilyuk market in Tashkent.

Source: podrobno.uz