Officers from the Sughd organized crime control department have reportedly warded off an attempt of smuggling a large amount of foreign currency out of Tajikistan. 

Six persons have been arrested on suspicion of attempting to smuggle a large amount of foreign currency out of the country, Akbar Sharipov, a spokesman for the Sughd organized crime control department, told Asia-Plus in an interview.  

According to him, the group members included residents of the cities of Dushanbe and Isfara as well as Roudaki and Muminobod districts.  They reportedly attempted to illegally carry that money via the Chilgazi border zone in the Sughd province. 

“29 million Russian rubles and 67,000 U.S. dollars have been confiscated from them,” said Sharipov.  “The confiscated money belongs to entrepreneurs running shops at Dushanbe’s “Korvon” and “Sultoni Kabir” bazaars.  The money was intended for purchasing goods abroad.” 

Criminal proceedings have been instituted against the money smugglers under the provisions of two articles of Tajikistan’s Penal Code: Article 32 (2) - preparation for a crime and criminal attempt; and Article 289 (2) – large-scale smuggling.  An investigation is under way.