Customs officers thwart smuggling of 45 kg of pregabalin disguised as laundry detergent
A major drug smuggling operation was foiled by authorities in Uzbekistan, preventing the illegal importation of a potent psychoactive substance worth an estimated 40 billion UZS. The plan involved processing the substance into 1.5 million capsules at a clandestine drug lab in Tashkent.
The Andijan Regional Customs Department, working in collaboration with the State Security Service (SSS) and internal affairs bodies, successfully intercepted the attempt to smuggle the substance through the Dustlik customs checkpoint. Three individuals were apprehended while trying to transport packages of Ariel laundry detergent, which were found to actually contain pregabalin, a psychoactive pharmaceutical substance.
Following the arrests, a person set to receive the substances was detained in the Akhangaran district, with an additional 27 kg of pregabalin powder found in his possession. Further investigation led authorities to uncover an illegal drug lab in a rented apartment in Tashkent’s Uchtepa district, where equipment, raw materials, and empty capsules for drug packaging were discovered.
A subsequent interception at the Dustlik checkpoint yielded another 20 kg of pregabalin powder destined for the same laboratory. In total, 56 kg of substances were seized, with 45 kg being pure pregabalin. It was estimated that this volume could have been used to produce nearly 1.5 million capsules, highlighting the scale of the operation.
The seized substances have a black market value of around 40 billion UZS, prompting the initiation of a criminal case in connection with the incident. The successful interdiction of this smuggling operation serves as a testament to the vigilance and coordinated efforts of law enforcement agencies in Uzbekistan.
