In Uzbekistan, despite the fact that the fight against tobacco smuggling has intensified in recent months, illegal cigarettes are still freely sold on markets and streets, which raises serious public concern.
Law enforcement agencies report the seizure of several large consignments in recent weeks. For example, the share of illegal products in the Fergana Valley has reached 22 percent, negatively affecting the state budget: in seven months, almost 286 billion soums were lost, with more than 115 billion of this amount coming from the Fergana Valley alone.
According to officials, one of the most widespread illegal brands is “Milano,” produced in the Jebel Ali free economic zone (UAE). These packs lack medical warnings, which contradicts the technical regulations of Uzbekistan.
During an operation in Namangan, more than 11,000 packs of cigarettes, including “Milano” and “Esse Change,” as well as hundreds of electronic tobacco products, were confiscated. Their total value exceeded 215 million soums. Thousands of packs were also seized in the Samarkand and Tashkent regions.
Reports from Tashkent State University of Economics indicate that in the capital, the share of illegal products increased from 7 percent to 11.8 percent in just one month.
The most dangerous aspect is that the declared levels of tar and nicotine in contraband cigarettes differ sharply from the actual content. For instance, on a “Milano London” pack it is stated as 1 mg tar and 0.1 mg nicotine, while laboratory analysis showed 3.1 mg and 0.2 mg respectively. In “Oris Fusion Mint,” the difference is even greater: instead of 4 mg tar and 0.3 mg nicotine, tests revealed 6.6 mg and 0.61 mg.
Experts emphasize that this situation poses a serious threat not only to people’s health but also to the entire economy. Therefore, raids and confiscations alone are not enough. To eliminate the problem at its root, it is necessary to completely block the entry routes of contraband products into the country, clean the markets, and organize systematic and coordinated action among all competent authorities.
Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!
