The capital's law enforcement agencies have uncovered a large criminal network operating secretly on Telegram. During an operational raid conducted by the Tashkent City Department of Internal Affairs, not only was the sale of deadly drugs stopped, but a multimillion-dollar illegal crypto-assets trafficking operation was also uncovered.
Rapid operation in Yunusabad: Bot administrators arrested
In the course of the investigative measures, two young men born in 1997 and 2001, residing in the Yunusabad district, were detained. They are suspected of organizing the sale of drugs and psychotropic substances through a specially created Telegram bot.
Confiscated items during the raid:
- Equipment: 4 smartphones and 3 laptops;
- Financial items: 12 bank cards and 11 SIM cards;
- Evidence: Drugs wrapped in paper and 550 units of strong medication found at the residence.
$2.3 million crypto turnover
During the investigation, when the suspects' electronic wallets were examined, startling figures came to light. It was revealed that the criminal group had conducted around 95,000 transactions through foreign platforms.
The total volume of crypto-assets turnover amounted to approximately 2,375,000 US dollars. It is believed that this revenue largely originated from the illegal sale of drugs.
Severe punishment and detention as a preventive measure
In connection with this incident, a criminal case was initiated under several articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan, including:
- Article 278-8 (Crimes in the sphere of crypto-assets turnover);
- Article 243 (Legalization of proceeds obtained from criminal activities);
- Article 251-1 (Illegal circulation of strong-acting substances).
Currently, both suspects have been placed under detention as a preventive measure. The Tashkent City Department of Internal Affairs announced that operational measures to ensure public safety and eliminate such hidden crimes at their root will continue in the capital.
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