9 billion UZS worth of synthetic drugs seized in Fergana

The Fergana regional department of the State Security Service, working with customs and law enforcement, uncovered a drug lab in the Mindonabad neighborhood of the Fergana district. The operation revealed that the lab produced drugs using raw materials sourced from the internet, with the suspects being paid in cryptocurrency.

Photo: Frame from the video

It was revealed that three residents of Margilan, born in 1990 and 2001, rented a house and used it to manufacture narcotic substances. During the house inspection, authorities seized 8.185 kg of the synthetic drug Alpha-PVP, 4.209 kg of "spice," 427 g of mephedrone, 12.326 kg of a special liquid, and 13.925 kg of tobacco products used in the drug production process.

According to expert analysis, the 12.821 kg of synthetic narcotic substances seized are valued at 9.185 billion UZS on the black market.

The pre-trial investigation revealed that the perpetrators obtained raw materials for drug production through "stash" methods from members of a criminal group involved in online drug distribution. After preparing the drugs, they left them at predetermined secret locations across the region and sent geolocations to other members of the criminal group.

For their activities, each of the three detainees received a weekly salary of $500 in cryptocurrency.

Criminal proceedings have been initiated against the individuals under part "b" of Article 273 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan, which covers illegal manufacturing, acquisition, storage, and other actions with narcotic substances, their analogs, or psychotropic substances for sale, as well as their distribution by an organized group or in its interests. The suspects have been placed in pre-trial detention.

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