A bribery scheme was uncovered in the Namangan region. This was reported by Upl.uz.
The crime involved a customs post inspector who used bank cards to receive illegal rewards. The inspector organized a covert channel to register the IMEI codes of illegally imported smartphones and accepted payments directly to plastic cards.
The State Security Service of Uzbekistan provided information about this case. It was revealed that the inspector, in collusion with a local resident, offered to assist in formalizing the IMEI codes of 57 illegally imported iPhone smartphones.
He demanded 100 dollars for each device, totaling 5700 dollars. Additionally, he requested an extra 400 dollars for turning a blind eye to a previously illegally imported batch of clothing.
Interestingly, the money was not transferred in cash but was deposited into the bank accounts of the inspector and his relative. Within three days, a total of 23.5 million soums was deposited into these cards.
On July 16, during a well-planned operation conducted in cooperation with the State Security Service, the Anti-Corruption Department of the Prosecutor General's Office, and the Customs Committee, this individual was apprehended. The former inspector now faces charges under Article 168 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan (fraud using official position) as well as Articles 28 and 211-1 (bribery through mediation).
The court has imposed a preventive measure of detention, and the investigation is ongoing.
