Why did Turkmenistan start raids against Uzbekistan SIM cards?

In the regions of Turkmenistan bordering Uzbekistan, local law enforcement agencies have launched comprehensive raids to identify citizens using SIM cards from Uzbek mobile operators. This was reported by Radio Ozodlik.

It is reported that the inspections are mainly being conducted in more than 60 settlements in the Dashoguz region. In recent days, it has been stated that SIM cards belonging to Uzbekistan have been confiscated from several families in the village of Diovar.

In some cases, violators were limited to a warning. However, in most instances, individuals suspected of using foreign mobile communication services were warned that they could face large fines or even imprisonment.

According to sources, such measures are explained by the fact that, in some cases, the use of foreign communication services is assessed as a threat to national security.

Citizens living in the border area say they are forced to use Uzbek SIM cards and Wi-Fi devices. They explain this by the poor quality of internet on local networks or its complete absence in some areas.

Some users note that the internet speed provided by Uzbek mobile operators is several times higher than that of local services. For this reason, some individuals traveling to the country bring UzbekSIM cards and routers, and share them with others.

According to the publication, the intensification of the raids may have been caused by the widespread circulation of news on the internet about a man in the Dashoguz region who committed suicide along with his six children. Some speculate that this information is suspected to have been spread by users who accessed the internet through mobile operators of the neighboring country.

At the same time, it is said that law enforcement agencies do not possess special technical equipment to remotely detect Uzbek SIM cards. Therefore, the inspections are being carried out mainly through on-site raids.