The activity of a transnational criminal group involved in smuggling petroleum products through a tunnel on the Uzbek-Kazakh border was disrupted, the press service of the Turkestan Region Prosecutor’s Office in Kazakhstan announced.
Investigations revealed that the group had constructed a 450-meter-long tunnel crossing the border. For approximately two months, 5 to 7 tons of fuel and lubricants were illegally transported daily from Kazakhstan into Uzbekistan.
“Special operations identified all members of the criminal group, which included Uzbekistani citizens. Similar measures were conducted by Uzbekistan’s law enforcement agencies in the border area,” the statement said.
Additionally, authorities uncovered a financial scheme used to transfer funds for the smuggled fuel.
Members of the transnational criminal group operating in both countries were detained. A pretrial investigation is currently underway.
