Over 20 kg of opium smuggled in a hidden compartment of a truck seized in Samarkand region

What happened

The Samarkand regional department of the State Security Service, as part of intelligence and search operations against illegal drug trafficking, has prevented the smuggling of a large batch of narcotic substances, reports Zamon.uz. According to the outlet, a citizen of one of the Persian Gulf countries, born in 1971, in collusion with a citizen of a neighboring state whose identity has not yet been established, brought the drug into the country from abroad in a Renault truck that he was driving.

Where and how much was seized

The operation was carried out jointly with the regional departments of customs and internal affairs. A house in the Ishtikhon district, where the foreigner was temporarily residing, was inspected; there, extracted opium raw material with a net weight of 20 kg 239 grams was discovered and seized in accordance with procedural rules. The Russian-language and Uzbek-language versions of the Zamon.uz report match in details: the drug was hidden in a secret compartment of the truck itself, as well as inside two batteries.

What is known about the case and what remains unclear

A criminal case has been opened against the foreign citizen and other persons under Articles 246 and 273 of the Criminal Code (smuggling and illegal trafficking of narcotic substances). The investigation is taking measures to identify other persons involved. The citizenship of the detainee remains undisclosed (the outlet only indicates 'one of the Persian Gulf countries'), as does the identity of the second figure — a citizen of a neighboring state; the route of entry and the final destination of the batch are not specified in the report.