Two officers from the Bukhara Regional Department of Internal Affairs were detained on March 16 on suspicion of involvement in illegal drug trafficking, as reported by the Uzbekistan Ministry of Internal Affairs press service. The officers were apprehended in the act as part of a joint operation conducted by law enforcement agencies.
A criminal case has been initiated under Article 273 Part 5 through Article 25 of the Criminal Code for preparing for the illegal sale of narcotics or psychotropic substances on a large scale, carrying a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The Ministry of Internal Affairs statement emphasized the ongoing fight against corruption within state and law enforcement bodies, including the active cleansing of law enforcement ranks from officers inclined to commit various offenses.
Investigative actions have commenced, with efforts focused on ensuring the inevitability of punishment for any criminal actions and combating corruption. In a Facebook group, a copy of a special message from the Bukhara Regional Department of Internal Affairs to the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Davron Nazarmukhamedov was published, confirming that both detained officers held the rank of major. The authenticity of the document was verified by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
One of the officers had been serving as the head of the criminal investigation department of the Bukhara Internal Affairs Department No. 3 since September 2022 (having served in the police since 2010), while the other had been the senior operational representative of the anti-illegal drug trafficking department of the criminal investigation management of the operational search service of the Bukhara Regional Department of Internal Affairs since July 2023 (having served in the police since 2012).
