Kazakh authorities uncovered 450-meter-long tunnel used by a transnational criminal group for smuggling oil and lubricants into Uzbekistan, the Turkistan Regional Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.
The tunnel facilitated the illegal transport of 5 to 7 tons of oil daily for nearly two months.
The prosecutor's office also found that a scheme for making payments from Uzbekistan for the smuggled fuel was identified.
“Members of the transnational criminal group were apprehended in both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. All suspects have been identified, with investigation ongoing,” the prosecutor's office added.
