On March 6 of the current year, the Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Mandatory Enforcement Bureau jointly destroyed tobacco products seized from illegal circulation in the Yangikhayot district of Tashkent city.
During this event, 132,180 boxes of tobacco products were burned in the presence of representatives of the open public, including journalists and bloggers.
Actions taken by customs authorities on tobacco
In 9 cases of violations identified by the rapid response units of the customs authorities, a total of 132,180 boxes of tobacco products were confiscated. These products were decided to be destroyed in accordance with the law.
Within the scope of the event, journalists and bloggers participated in the burning process and got detailed information on issues related to illegal tobacco products. Also, cadets of the Customs Institute actively participated in the event.
The illegal tobacco circulation is decreasing
According to the Customs Committee, if the circulation of illegal tobacco products in Uzbekistan constituted 19.4% in January 2024, it dropped to 9.6% by the end of the year.
In 2024, customs authorities and law enforcement agencies exposed 512 cases related to illegal tobacco circulation. As a result, 2.9 million boxes of tobacco products worth 61.6 billion soums were removed from circulation.
New regulations related to transit
To prevent the clandestine circulation of illegal tobacco products through the territory of the country, on October 30, 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan adopted decision No. 717. According to it, customs payments for the transit of tobacco products are to be placed in a deposit account and refunded after the products are exported from the republic.
Harmful products were destroyed
The destroyed tobacco products were counterfeit, lacking digital marking and excise stamps, and were noted to be of poor quality and hazardous to health.
During the press conference organized within the event, the Customs Committee and medical experts spoke up, providing information about the harm of tobacco products. Furthermore, measures to prevent such violations in the future were discussed.
