Authorities in Uzbekistan have detained a man who attempted to smuggle mephedrone transported from Russia through Kazakhstan and into Uzbekistan, Kazinform reports.
The incident took place at the “Kaplanbek–Navai” border checkpoint on the Kazakh-Uzbek frontier. Security officers became suspicious of a Lada Largus and conducted a detailed inspection. Inside the vehicle, they found 2.3 kilograms of mephedrone hidden among the transported goods.
Investigators determined that the 25-year-old driver regularly transported passengers and cargo along the “Uzbekistan–Russia” route. According to the assignment, he was expected to deliver the narcotics to a man in the Kashkadarya region. Security forces also detained the intended recipient as he arrived to pick up the illegal shipment.
Both suspects have been arrested, and a criminal case has been opened on charges related to the unlawful production, acquisition, and possession of narcotics.
Last year, a cross-border tunnel designed for smuggling petroleum products was discovered on the Uzbek-Kazakh border. In addition, Uzbekistan’s Deputy Secretary of the Security Council, Bahodir Tashmatov, previously stated that nearly 90 tons of heroin transit through Central Asia annually.
