Two major illegal gold mining operations have been uncovered in the Navoi region. During the arrests, over 200 kilograms of semi-processed gold and hundreds of tons of gold-bearing ore were seized. The estimated damage caused exceeds 13 billion soums.
First case in the Karmaninsky district
Operation Halts Criminal Group's Activities involved in gold mining on state lands. The group was led by a 1988-born citizen from the Pakhtachi district of the Samarkand region, who rented a building of a poultry farm to organize an underground workshop.
The following items were seized during the arrest:
- 200 kilograms of semi-finished gold
- 200 bags of sand and stones containing gold
- 300 kilograms of chemicals
- Specialized laboratory equipment and gas cylinders
According to preliminary estimates, the damage amounted to more than 7 billion soums. A criminal case has been initiated against the suspect under Article 196² of the Criminal Code.
The second case in the Navbahor district
A similar operation was carried out on the territory of the state museum-reserve "Sarmishsoy." The head of a limited liability company organized illegal work based on a forged permit, involving 19 people for earthworks over an area of 8 hectares.
The following items were seized during the arrest:
- 6 kilograms of semi-finished gold
- Over 430 tons of gold-bearing ores
- Freight Trucks and Loading Equipment
The damage in this case is estimated at 6.1 billion soums. For both cases, laboratory analyses and determination of the full extent of the environmental damage have been ordered.
