Drugs and corruption threaten security in Tashkent

Report by the head of the Uzbekistan Security Service: drug trafficking is constantly on the rise, especially with regard to the spread of synthetic drugs among young people. In 2025, 1,083 state employees were suspended for corruption and other crimes related to abuse of power. ‘Destructive ideas’ spread through digital networks are also being targeted.

Tashkent (AsiaNews) - The head of the Uzbekistan Security Service, Bakhodir Kurbanov, made some very worrying statements at the enlarged council meeting, in the presence of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, regarding the spread of ‘destructive ideas’ and drug trafficking, which pose serious threats to the country's security, noting the doubling of drug seizures and allegations of corruption against hundreds of state officials.

The president had appealed to the Olij Mažlis, the parliament in Tashkent, addressing the entire Uzbek people to address these current challenges not only for Uzbekistan but for the entire Central Asian region, and Kurbanov confirmed that “the information we receive makes it increasingly urgent to respond to these dangers”. Among the most dramatic issues, he pointed to terrorism and the spread of destructive ideologies, as well as cross-border threats.

In his view, ‘virtual space and especially social networks have become the main sources of the spread of destructive ideas among the population, having a very negative impact on religious sentiments.’ Problems originating beyond the borders continue to be a cause for concern, especially the trafficking of drugs, weapons and other valuable and commercially important materials. In 2025, the border with Tajikistan and Turkmenistan was officially demarcated for 1,482 kilometres, with 790 border posts, dividing networks for 453 kilometres between 287 kilometres of border roads, with 44 electronic signalling devices.

These measures have made it possible to reduce border violations by 1.5 times, with a 20% increase in the confiscation of prohibited materials, Kurbanov reports, noting the need for infrastructure modernisation at the nine border crossing points. Every year, the number of people crossing the border, especially commercial transport, increases by an average of 15% in line with the growth of the economy, foreign trade and tourism.

Drug trafficking is constantly on the rise, with 3.6 tonnes of drugs confiscated in 2025 compared to 1.7 tonnes in 2024, and the number of criminals arrested has increased from 2,600 to 4,500 in the last year, with 15 secret laboratories dismantled compared to 8 in the previous year. Particular concern stems from the spread of synthetic drugs among young people, with 180 kilograms of substances seized and 1 million doses of psychotropic preparations. The problem is that “addiction to these preparations develops in the body very quickly after they start being used”, the head of the services points out.

With regard to corruption, the report documents continuing incidents of abuse of power by officials, the perception of bribery, extortion and other similar offences in many state and law enforcement agencies. In 2025, 1,083 employees of various state bodies were suspended from their posts for involvement in corruption and other crimes, and 661 were prosecuted and convicted by the courts. However, a situation of “daily corruption” remains, dependent on the “human factor” and the lack of digitisation of procedures.

2026 has been declared the “year of the fight against corruption” in Uzbekistan, and the use of the most innovative technologies will serve to reduce the risks of arbitrary decisions by officials and legal loopholes, creating a climate of “popular intolerance” towards corruption throughout Uzbek society. Particular attention will be paid to the criminal liability of illegal religious teaching of minors, in order to prevent their radicalisation.