During a multi-stage operation conducted by the State Customs Committee's Anti-Corruption and Security department and Tashkent city and Fergana regional customs administrations in cooperation with the State Security Service, the suspects were found guilty of trying to bribe a customs officer in order to avoid paying customs duties.

When this person previously imported goods into the country in 1 container, due to discrepancies between the data and cargo, the container was delivered to the customs post in Fergana region under customs control, customs inspection was carried out in the prescribed manner and it was revealed that there were goods not specified in the travel documents for 800 mln. UZS and customs duties were levied in prescribed manner.

Such forms of customs control, of course, did not allow the entrepreneur to blindfold the customs officers. Therefore, the next time when importing, this person plans to evade customs duties and make a plan to mislead the customs officers.

In December 2020, he finds the phone numbers of one of the customs officers, calls him and offers to meet and talk.

During the meeting, the person asks not to scan containers belonging to him which were going to arrive from abroad soon by the inspection complex installed at the customs post and not to include them in the risk group in the "Risk Management System". Otherwise, these containers might be subject to customs inspection. Therefore, a stranger offers a bribe to a customs officer.

However, a customs officer who had a conscientious approach to his work showed an example of devotion to his profession and immediately notified his superiors in accordance with the established procedure. After that, a plan was developed to expose the criminal activities of the person offering the bribe.

In early January 2021, the "entrepreneur" bribed a customs officer for a total of $9,400 and one expensive watch. The operation could have been completed here, but as the containers have not yet entered the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan it was decided to start the second phase of the operation.

On January 14-15, 2021, the expected containers entered the country through the border customs post "Chuqursoy texnik idora" and have been inspected in the prescribed manner through the inspection complex.

Naturally, discrepancies were identified between the cargo in the container and the documents related to them, and an in-depth customs inspection was scheduled.

At the request of cargo owners, containers for customs clearance was sent to the customs post of foreign economic activity "Kokand" in Fergana region. The containers were sealed with special customs seals and could not be opened along the way.

However, when the containers are brought to one of the villages in Dangara district, they were opened in a safe place without damaging the seals and were exposed by operatives while replacing high-value goods in the container - bicycles and their spare parts with other low-value goods.

Also there were the devices used to cut the steel bases of the container, including paint and other material evidence to paint the scratched and discolored parts.

Thus, at the scene, operatives found 3327 bicycles of various sizes, bicycle spare parts and other goods, as well as $ 9,400 in bribes and 1 watch worth 4 bln. 160 bln. UZS. They were temporarily detained as offenses until the situation was clarified.

A criminal case has been launched by the customs authorities and an investigation is under way.