The State Security Service (SSS) of Uzbekistan, in cooperation with customs authorities, has successfully uncovered and dismantled an illegal scheme involving the distribution of substandard and smuggled pharmaceuticals in the country’s capital.

During a coordinated operational raid, officers discovered a warehouse located near Tashkent, The Caspian Post reports, citing Uzbek media.

The facility contained more than 100 different types of medicinal products that had been brought into the country through illegal channels.

According to the SSS, a resident of Tashkent district in Tashkent region used his private home as a storage facility for medications smuggled from abroad via bypass routes. The individual was reportedly engaged in supplying these unauthorized goods to various pharmacies located across Tashkent city.

A thorough inspection of the warehouse revealed a massive stockpile consisting of 119 different brand names. In total, authorities seized 3,356 packages containing 76,318 individual units of medication, including popular products such as "Frotu," "Budenofalk," and "Gaviscon," among others. Preliminary estimates place the total market value of the confiscated goods at approximately UZS 1 billion.

Samples of the seized products have been collected and forwarded to the Center for Pharmaceutical Products Safety for comprehensive laboratory expertise and quality testing. Currently, pre-investigation activities are underway to identify all parties involved in the smuggling ring and to assess the potential risk posed to public health by these unregulated medicines.