Uzbekistan’s State Security Service, working with other law enforcement agencies, carried out a series of operations against suspected drug traffickers in Syrdarya, Navoi and Samarkand regions and in Karakalpakstan, seizing a combined 3.67 kilograms of hashish, synthetic drugs, opium and marijuana, according to a report by Podrobno.uz. The operations focused on rented properties, alleged couriers, online drug shops and hidden caches used to distribute narcotics. Authorities said criminal cases have been opened in all four episodes, while investigators are working to establish the full circumstances of the illegal circulation and possible involvement of other people.
Key Takeaways: The multi-region crackdown produced a total of 3.67 kg of narcotics. The largest seizure was in Turtkul district of Karakalpakstan, where two men were found with 2.071 kg of marijuana, including 1.175 kg packed in 97 matchboxes at a home. In Samarkand, a poultry shop worker allegedly kept 492 grams of opium at his workplace.
The case highlights Uzbekistan’s continuing struggle with drug trafficking networks that use online marketplaces, couriers, stash points and rented premises to move narcotics across regions. Law enforcement agencies have increasingly focused on so-called zakladchiks, or cache operators, and on small, dispersed packages that are harder to detect. The reported seizures range from hashish and opium to synthetic Spice, reflecting the mixed nature of the illegal market. For local communities, such operations are presented as a public safety measure, but they also point to the persistence of demand and the adaptability of criminal groups.
In Gulistan, officers checked a rented house occupied by a man and a woman who were suspected of working as packers and cache operators for an online drug shop. A search of a heating appliance reportedly uncovered 337 grams of hashish, while another 208 grams of the substance, divided into 65 small portions, was found in a separate rented storage space. In Karmanin district of Navoi region, three alleged drug couriers were detained; 20 grams of synthetic Spice was found on them, and further checks led to another 542 grams hidden in several locations in the district.
In Samarkand, a worker at a poultry meat shop was identified as allegedly keeping 492 grams of opium directly at his workplace; the narcotic was divided into small doses and was believed to be intended for sale. In Turtkul district of Karakalpakstan, officers seized 471 grams of marijuana from a local resident and then checked his previously convicted alleged associate. A search of the man’s car reportedly produced another 425 grams, while 1.175 kilograms of marijuana were found at his home, packed into 97 matchboxes. The total seized from the two men was 2.071 kilograms.
All four episodes have led to criminal cases, and investigators are now establishing how the drugs were acquired, stored and distributed, as well as whether other individuals were involved. The report also recalled an earlier case in Samarkand in which a man was detained after taking two kilograms of opium from a cache under a concrete fence. Further procedural decisions and possible additional charges are expected as the investigations proceed.
Source: podrobno.uz