The State Service on Drug Control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan conducted a special operation to dismantle a transnational organized drug trafficking group, the ministry’s press service reported.
According to the statement, the group consisted of citizens of Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan. Seven individuals were detained, while one more suspect has been placed on an international wanted list.
Investigators believe the group was involved in the large-scale smuggling and distribution of drugs of Afghan origin, transporting shipments in transit through Kyrgyzstan.
Searches of the detainees’ homes, vehicles, and stashes led to the seizure of 136 kilograms and 855 grams of narcotics, including more than 20 kilograms of opium and over 116 kilograms of hashish.
Drug control officers also confiscated large sums of money in U.S. dollars, Kyrgyz soms, Uzbek sums, and Russian rubles. Six vehicles were transferred to state ownership.
The investigation is ongoing under several articles of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic, including Article 262 (Creation of a criminal organization or participation in it), Article 282 (Illegal manufacture of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their analogues with intent to sell), Article 285 (Smuggling of items subject to special rules for movement across the customs border of the Kyrgyz Republic), and Article 378 (Illegal crossing of the state border of the Kyrgyz Republic).
