On 11 November, Tashkent International Airport restored the standard customs clearance procedure for mobile devices imported from abroad. The announcement was made at a press conference by Husan Tangriyev, press secretary of the Customs Committee. According to the official, temporary checks introduced earlier to clarify IMEI identification and confirm the legality of imported devices have been cancelled. The move is intended to restore normal passenger flows, reduce delays and return customs processing to its usual order.
Key Takeaways: On 11 November, UZIMEI and Customs Committee representatives held talks at Tashkent International Airport. UZIMEI representatives will maintain a permanent presence at the airport to provide practical assistance to customs officers when deeper IMEI checks are required. Temporary suspension and inspection measures have been lifted, and the return of several hundred mobile devices held in customs control to their owners has begun.
IMEI is a unique identifier for mobile devices and plays an important role in customs control, including checks of origin, legality and import history. The temporary inspections at the airport had been introduced pending clarification of IMEI identification and confirmation that imported devices had been brought in lawfully. Such measures created additional waiting times and procedural inconvenience for travellers, underscoring the need for closer practical coordination between customs authorities and UZIMEI.
At the press conference, Tangriyev said that in the first half of 11 November, representatives of UZIMEI and the Customs Committee met at Tashkent International Airport for negotiations. As a result, UZIMEI representatives were assigned to operate permanently at the airport in order to provide practical support to customs staff when in-depth identification of mobile device IMEI identifiers is required. On this basis, the temporary suspension and inspection measures were cancelled, and the free import and clearance of mobile devices was restored.
Work has now begun to return several hundred mobile devices previously held under customs control to their owners. Officials are expected to monitor airport procedures and rely on UZIMEI specialists on site when IMEI checks are needed. The step is expected to make the process more predictable for travellers importing mobile devices from abroad and to reduce the risk of unnecessary delays in customs clearance. Further procedural clarifications may follow as the airport returns to standard operations.
Source: www.gazeta.uz