Customs and security officials at the Navoi border checkpoint in Tashkent province intercepted two individuals attempting to smuggle a large sum of foreign currency into a neighboring country, the Tashkent provinceal customs department reported.
According to officials, customs officers working alongside State Security Service personnel grew suspicious of two people crossing the border on foot. The pair was subsequently searched in the presence of independent witnesses.
The search uncovered a total of $240,000 in cash taped to the individuals' legs — currency that had not been declared on their customs forms or disclosed when officers questioned them.
Customs authorities say an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
The case follows a similar incident in Tashkent province last month, in which authorities uncovered an attempt to smuggle gold and $40,000 in cash out of the country using children to conceal the goods. Uzbekistan also recently announced plans to set the threshold for undeclared cash currency exports at $10,000.
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