Illegal Gasoline Tunnel Discovered in Turkistan

An astonishing event occurred in Central Asia. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

In Turkistan region, the court issued a verdict against a group involved in smuggling fuel across the border illegally. According to court information, five individuals dug a secret underground tunnel 375 meters long in Saryagash district and conducted several illegal operations from August to December 2024.

It was revealed that over 420 tons of AI-92 gasoline were secretly transported into Uzbekistan through this tunnel. According to experts' calculations, this activity caused the state a loss of 112 million tenge, approximately 2 billion soms.

According to the court ruling, the organizer of the group was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, while the other members received 13 years each. Additionally, the accused's funds amounting to 3 million tenge, 16 thousand liters of gasoline, and several trucks were confiscated as state property.

Officials stated that the verdict has not yet come into legal force and that the parties may file an appeal. This incident highlights the need to strengthen control and security at the borders of neighboring countries.

According to experts, illegal activities conducted through such tunnels not only cause economic damage but also pose a serious threat to border security. For this reason, this event has attracted significant attention not only in Turkistan region but throughout the entire area.