Uzbek Court Sentences Five to 12-15 Years for Smuggling Narcotics from Afghanistan

A court in Uzbekistan's Fergana province sentenced five men to prison terms of 12 to 15 years for smuggling nearly 10 kilograms of charas from Afghanistan, Uzbekistan's State Security Service said.

The Baghdad district Criminal Court convicted the defendants under the Uzbek Criminal Code for smuggling and possession of narcotics. The group included a 42-year-old merchant from Margilan, two brothers aged 31 and 39, a 36-year-old accomplice and another suspect.

Uzbekistan's State Security Service stated that the drugs entered the country via Serkhandarya province from Afghanistan and were hidden in Yazyavan district of Fergana province for sale in the Fergana Valley.

In September, authorities arrested the 42-year-old merchant and his 36-year-old accomplice as they received the nearly 10 kg shipment of charas. During the arrests and investigations, officers seized 14,500 U.S. dollars and more than 6 million Uzbek som from the merchant. A search of a third suspect's house yielded 110 grams of opium, 1,200 U.S. dollars and 28 million Uzbek som.

The case forms part of Uzbekistan's broader efforts to combat drug smuggling networks connected to transit routes from Afghanistan.