An Uzbek court has sentenced several individuals for smuggling goods to and from Kyrgyzstan through a tunnel illegally dug on private property near the Kyrgyz border. A court in the Ferghana region sentenced three men to prison terms of between six and seven years on May 3. Three other defendants were handed parole-like sentences. Uzbek authorities launched the probe after they discovered an entrance to the tunnel linking the two Central Asian countries in a private house in the town of Rishton in July 2022. Since 2021, Kyrgyz authorities have found at least four similar tunnels. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, click here.
Uzbek Group Involved In Smuggling Goods From Kyrgyzstan Through Tunnel Jailed
Since 2021, Kyrgyz authorities have found at least four similar tunnels on the border with Uzbekistan. (composite file photo)