4.4 kg of Mephedrone from Thailand Seized at Tashkent Airport
Law enforcement officers at Tashkent International Airport intercepted an attempt to smuggle 4.4 kg of synthetic mephedrone hidden in sweet packages and plastic containers.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) ––
A substantial quantity of the synthetic drug mephedrone, weighing 4.4 kilograms, was confiscated at Tashkent International Airport, thwarting an attempt to import it into Uzbekistan. The discovery was made by officers of the State Security Service (SSS) and the Tashkent-Aero specialized customs complex. The illegal substance was found in the luggage of a Kazakh national who had traveled on a flight from Bangkok, with a layover in Sharjah, before arriving in Tashkent.
During a routine inspection of hand luggage, conducted as part of the "Safe and Healthy Country" operational-preventive campaign, officers located the drugs concealed within eight candy packages and five plastic containers.
Further investigative efforts led to the apprehension of the intended recipient of the drug shipment, a 20-year-old individual residing in Yangiyul. According to investigators, this individual had received instructions from an administrator of an online drug store to collect the narcotics from a hotel situated in Tashkent.
A subsequent personal search of the detainee also yielded a pneumatic pistol, which was confiscated by officers.
In response to these events, a criminal case has been launched under Article 246, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan, pertaining to "Smuggling." The suspects have been remanded in custody as a precautionary measure, and the investigation remains active.