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Under the coordination of Kazakhstan’s Turkestan Region Prosecutor’s Office and in cooperation with Uzbek law enforcement, authorities dismantled a criminal group and shut down a tunnel used for smuggling petroleum products. One tunnel, stretching 450 meters between the two countries, was used to smuggle 5–7 tons of fuel and lubricants daily. The smuggling operation had been active for two months before being brought to an end. Investigations revealed that a well-organized transnational criminal group was behind the tunnel, using it to facilitate the illicit transfer of goods and funds between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan’s State Security Service (DXX) uncovered another illegal underground tunnel on the Tashkent-Kazakhstan border. Working in coordination with the Tashkent-Aero customs complex, border troops, and military personnel, the DXX exposed a cross-border smuggling operation involving large quantities of substandard drugs imported from India into Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan. In a related case, a similar underground passage was discovered in April in Kyrgyzstan’s Jalal-Abad region. This tunnel was being used to smuggle people and contraband goods into Uzbekistan.
Kyrgyzstan’s State Customs Service has launched a pilot Electronic Queue Management System (eQMS) at the Kyzyl-Kiya road border crossing with Uzbekistan. The system is designed to simplify and expedite border-crossing procedures for truck drivers. Using the eQMS website, drivers can reserve time slots and access a designated waiting zone at their scheduled time, according to the Delegation of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic. European Union Support Funded by the European Union, the eQMS is part of Kyrgyzstan’s broader effort to enhance economic and regional trade integration. The initiative is implemented with technical support from the International Trade Centre (ITC), a United Nations agency, under the Ready4Trade Central Asia: Fostering Prosperity Through the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor project. Marilyn Josefson, Ambassador of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic, emphasized the significance of the initiative: “The European Union is proud to support Kyrgyzstan's efforts to modernize its border management through the eQMS pilot initiative. Improving soft connectivity and facilitation of trade and border procedures is a crucial step in advancing the operational efficiency of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and supporting the internationalization of Central Asian businesses, ultimately fostering sustainable economic development and stronger regional integration,” said Josefson. Advancing Border Efficiency Almaz Saliev, deputy chairman of the State Customs Service of Kyrgyzstan, highlighted the transformational nature of the project: “This system is not only an operational improvement but also a commitment to a modern, user-centered approach to border management.” The new system addresses longstanding issues faced by Kyrgyz exporters and freight forwarders, particularly delays at border crossings. While the pilot project focuses on the Uzbekistan border, border delays have also been a recurring problem for Kyrgyz trucks crossing into Kazakhstan. These delays have disrupted goods transit to Russia and other destinations, prompting periodic complaints from Kyrgyzstan about excessive queues. The eQMS pilot project marks a significant step toward more efficient, transparent, and reliable border management, paving the way for smoother trade flows and stronger regional connectivity.
On October 8, Kazakhstan’s Financial Monitoring Agency held a meeting on strengthening control over the smuggling of motor fuel from the country’s border regions. As gasoline prices in Kazakhstan are significantly lower than in neighboring Kyrgyzstan, gasoline is transported from the southern regions of Kazakhstan to northern Kyrgyzstan in passenger car gas tanks. In practical terms, drivers fill up their cars at Kazakh gas stations close to the border, then enter Kyrgyzstan and redistribute the gasoline. According to the Financial Monitoring Agency, up to 10,000 tons of fuel are exported this way monthly through the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border. Fuel is also illegally exported by railway tanks, with documents indicating other contents inside the tanks. At the meeting, the Kazakh government and law-enforcement agencies developed an algorithm of action to prevent the illegal export of motor fuel. Since the beginning of this year, Kazakh law enforcers have filed 21 criminal cases concerning the illegal export of almost 3,500 tons of fuel. Kazakh gasoline is sold in plastic bottles on northern Kyrgyzstan's roadsides and around Bishkek. The most popular gasoline, AI-92, is sold by roadside traders for 58 KGS per liter ($1 = 85 KGS), while authorized gas stations sell it for 67 KGS per liter. In 2023, Kyrgyzstan’s Tax Service confiscated 9,599 liters of illegal fuel, up from 3,422 liters in 2022.
