Photo: kun.uz
A criminal court in the city of Andijan has sentenced members of a smuggling ring who dug a tunnel across the border into neighboring Kyrgyzstan. According to Uzbekistan’s State Security Service (SSS), the group’s leader was sentenced to six years in prison, while his accomplices received five-year terms.
The investigation identified the ringleader as a 1983-born citizen of Kyrgyzstan who assigned roles to his Uzbek collaborators. He was convicted under Articles 182 (“Violation of customs regulations”) and 223 (“Illegal border crossing”) of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code and sentenced to six years in a penal colony.
Three Uzbek nationals who assisted in transporting smuggled goods through the tunnel were found guilty of customs violations and received five-year prison terms each.
Authorities reported that the group illegally brought over 800 mobile phones into Uzbekistan and attempted to smuggle approximately two kilograms of gold and jewelry. The total value of the seized goods exceeds 7.5 billion Uzbek sums (approximately $580,000). Security officers also confiscated additional merchandise, mostly smartphones and accessories, worth nearly 3 billion sums (about $230,000).
Investigators discovered that some of the smuggled mobile phones were being sold in shopping centers in Andijan and Tashkent. A probe is underway to identify those responsible for distributing the contraband to retail outlets.
According to the SSS, the smugglers dug an underground passage from the “A. Navoi” neighborhood in the city of Khanabad to the village of Bekabad in the Suzak District of Kyrgyzstan’s Jalal-Abad Region.
In a separate case, authorities uncovered another tunnel in a house near the border. The homeowner, who intended to use the tunnel for smuggling, was found with relevant goods and sentenced to five years in prison.
The tunnels, both destroyed by authorities, were built 20 meters underground. The first measured 350 meters in length, the second 135 meters. Both were 70 to 80 centimeters wide.
