Law enforcement officers at Uzbekistan's Tashkent International Airport have detained a criminal group suspected of attempting to smuggle women abroad for sexual exploitation.

Investigators said the group consisted of two men and one woman. The suspects promised official employment in Türkiye to two women from Kashkadarya Region and Surkhandarya Region, while their real intention was to profit from sending the women abroad for prostitution, The Caspian Post reports via Uzbek media.

According to the investigation, the suspects deliberately targeted women facing difficult life circumstances, deceiving them with offers of legal work and arranging their departure under false pretenses.

The group was caught while processing travel documents for the women’s departure to Istanbul.

A criminal case has been opened under Article 135, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which covers human trafficking offenses. Investigative actions are ongoing, and authorities say efforts are underway to establish all circumstances of the crime and identify possible accomplices.