The government has reportedly proposed to commute criminal penalty for commodity smuggling.

“The government has proposed amendments to the country’s penal code aimed at commuting criminal penalty for commodity smuggling,” a source at Tajikistan’s lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament told Asia-Plus in an interview.

According to him, the amendments have already been sent for consideration to the Majlisi Namoyandagon.

Under the current country’s penal code, commodity smuggling is punishable by a fine equal to between 250 and 912 calculated indicators or by up to five years in jail. 

If lawmakers approve the proposed amendments, this penalty will be imposed only those who will commit this kind of crime repeatedly during one year.  Those who will commit this kind of crime for the first time will be liable to the administrative punishment, the source added.     

Meanwhile, the Majlisi Namoyandagon last month approved amendments to the country’s administrative code that would toughen penalty for commodity smuggling.

Presenting the bill to lawmakers on November 10, the head of Customs Service, Abdufattohoh Ghoib, said the goal of the amendments was to prevent contraband from being smuggled into the country.

The amendments reportedly stipulate that a huge fine will be imposed on smugglers and their mobile means will be confiscated.

Smugglers will now face a fine equal to the double cost of the contraband and confiscation of their mobile means.

Under the current administrative code, the fine does not exceed the single fold cost of the contraband.

Speaking at the Majlisi Namoyandagon session, Ghoib noted that contraband was mainly being smuggled into Tajikistan from neighboring Kyrgyzstan.