Deputy Secretary of Uzbekistan’s Security Council Bahodir Tashmatov stated that Central Asia remains one of the main global transit corridors for illicit drug trafficking. Speaking at a meeting of the Central Asia Regional Information and Coordination Center in Samarkand, he highlighted rising regional threats.
According to him, drug-related crimes in Central Asia have grown by 83% over the past five years. Smuggling increased by 55%, the volume of seized substances by 52%, and the illegal circulation of synthetic drugs — including methamphetamine — by 62%.
Tashmatov said that nearly 90 tons of heroin transit through the region every year, mostly destined for Russia and Europe. He added that the threat is expanding due to growing local production: the number of clandestine synthetic drug laboratories in the region rose by 111% over five years, reaching 331. In Uzbekistan, five labs were uncovered in 2024, and 10 in the first nine months of this year.
