The key facts
- Smartphones worth more than 1,000 dollars are sent for additional examination upon import; the check can take up to 30 days
- The checks are linked to a rise in cases of IMEI code counterfeiting and cloning
- It is not yet reported on which legal norm the new procedure is based; the Customs Committee is preparing an official comment
What is happening
iPhone prices in Uzbekistan have risen sharply, and according to Kun.uz citing a source in the customs system, the reason is once again related to IMEI: customs authorities at the country's airports have tightened control over imported smartphones and their IMEI codes. The source confirmed to the outlet some of the rumors circulating online.
How the new procedure works
According to available information, under the new procedure, smartphones worth more than 1,000 dollars imported from abroad are detained by customs authorities and sent for additional examination to confirm that the device's IMEI code has not been faked. The check can take up to 30 days. At the same time, it remains unknown on the basis of which legal act this procedure was introduced. Social media users claim that the practice of verifying the authenticity of IMEI codes began on November 6; the day before, on November 5, a meeting on this topic was held at the Customs Committee, where the counterfeiting, cloning and unlawful use of other people's IMEI codes were discussed and the need to strengthen control mechanisms was emphasized. The meeting was attended by the committee's first deputy chairman Gayrat Nosirov, committee representatives, and officials of the Republican Center for Telecommunications Network Management under the Ministry of Digital Technologies.
Motives and the agency's position
A Kun.uz source in the customs system explained the need for checks by the growing number of IMEI code counterfeiting cases. According to him, some citizens transfer the IMEI code of an expensive phone that was illegally brought into the country to another device and declare it at the border. Two methods are described: in the first, the code of an expensive phone is transferred to a cheap device of a different model — for example, the declaration lists a Samsung worth 150 dollars, while the IMEI registered under this declaration actually belongs to an iPhone 18 Pro Max. The Customs Committee's press service told Kun.uz in response to a request that an official comment on the matter is being prepared; the editorial office received no reply by evening to its morning request.
What remains unclear
As of publication, there is no official confirmation of the new procedure from the Customs Committee — the agency only said that an explanation is being prepared. The legal document on which the practice is based has also not been disclosed. For buyers and importers this means de facto uncertainty: devices worth more than 1,000 dollars may be detained for up to a month, which is already affecting market prices, but the legal grounds and duration of the measure have not yet been clarified.
