State border for $100: 59 cars sold to Tajikistan revealed

In Uzbekistan, criminal cases related to the illegal transfer of automobiles across the border have again surged. The Customs Committee’s Anti‑Smuggling Department has revealed another high-profile case — eight individuals illegally transported a total of 59 cars to Tajikistan in exchange for money.

According to the authorities, the group members received an average of 100–200 USD per vehicle, driving them through the border checkpoints “Oybek”, “Khovosobod”, “Andarkhon” and “Pop”. The cars included modern makes of global brands: Volkswagen, BYD, Honda, Kaiyi X3, Faw ID4, Geely Geometry.

Personal gain at the expense of state security
According to official information, those involved in the crime include citizens born in Bukhara in 1982; in Tashkent Region in 1991 and 2001; and in Namangan in 1998 and 1986. They facilitated the illegal export of hundreds of millions of soms worth of vehicles abroad.

Each perpetrator actively participated in driving the cars out: some moved 9 cars, others 12. They received cash only for their services, with no official contracts or documentation issued.

Interestingly, all these vehicles were later sold illegally on the Tajikistan market and not returned. This means that the true owners suffered serious financial and legal damage.

Connected risks and the “trust document threat”
The Customs Committee appealed to the public, urging people not to hand over their cars to others based on power of attorney and to exercise maximum caution in such transactions. It is especially important — in case of a possibility of border crossing — to contact law enforcement agencies immediately.

Recall that at the end of 2024 Kun.uz published an investigative report about Abdullah Abdurassulov, who took cars from people on installment terms, transported them to Kazakhstan, and sold them. He explained the illegal crossing by saying, “if you bribe at customs — they’ll let it through.”

At that time, the Committee stated that the cars were indeed transported illegally via the “Yallama” checkpoint, but there was no evidence of customs officials’ involvement. However, half a year later a similar incident occurred — this time cars were illegally taken to Tajikistan.

Investigation and legal measures
According to the committee, this case is currently under pre‑investigation by the Investigation and Administrative Practice Department of the Customs Committee. A criminal case has been opened under the relevant article of the Criminal Code and submitted to investigative authorities.

This situation indicates that people’s trust when transferring their vehicles to others under power of attorney remains high. However, such trust may lead to serious legal, financial, and even criminal consequences.

Conclusion: law is supreme, trust must be limited
As vehicle traffic in the country increases from year to year, attempts to export them illicitly through unauthorized channels have risen sharply. Such crimes threaten not only private property but also national border security.

Since the law is supreme, decisive measures must be taken against such actions. Therefore, every citizen handing over their car under power of attorney should pre-assess legal risks and seek legal consultation. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!