Uzbekistan’s Security Service stops gold smuggling through Kyrgyzstan

Uzbekistan’s State Security Service has uncovered a channel used to smuggle precious metal items from Turkey through Kyrgyzstan. The agency’s press center reported.

It is noted that a batch worth about $415,000 was seized.

Employees of the departments of the State Security Service for Andijan and Fergana regions detained a resident of Andijan during an operational event while crossing the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border. 859 pieces of gold and diamond jewelry with a total weight of 4,155 kilograms and a value of 5,213 billion soums (about $415,000) were seized from the detainee.

«It was established during the preliminary investigation that the detainee was supposed to illegally transport the seized jewelry from Kyrgyzstan for a fee, which, in turn, was imported into the neighboring country from Turkey by more than ten people living in Andijan and Fergana regions,» the statement says.

A criminal case has been opened on this fact under the article «Smuggling on an especially large scale» of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the identities of the owners of the jewelry are being established.

The smugglers face punishment of up to eight years in prison.