An attempt to smuggle a large batch of drugs was prevented at Uzbekistan-Afghanistan border on 9 February, the Customs Committee of Uzbekistan said. The operation was held jointly with the State Security Service.
A truck transiting through the at Ayritom customs checkpoint in Surkhandarya region contained 22,500 household brooms packed in 180 bags weighing a total 13.5 tons.
The inspection revealed plastic-wrapped packages, about 25 cm long each, hidden inside the handles of 2,986 brooms. They were wrapped in yellow tape matching the color of the broom.
Each package contained an average of 200 grams of a “dark brown substance with a strong odor”. A rapid test confirmed it was hashish.
The total weight of the seized narcotic substance amounted to 612 kg. Preliminary estimates suggest the black-market value of this shipment exceeds $16.5 million.
The authorities started investigation of the case, the statement said.
