The law enforcement authorities in Tajikistan have announced the arrest of seven individuals who are allegedly members of two transnational drug trafficking groups. They are suspected of smuggling approximately 100 kilograms of drugs, including hashish, opium, and methamphetamine from Afghanistan into Tajikistan.
According to the Tajik Ministry of Internal Affairs, the drugs, smuggled from Afghanistan, were intended for sale both within the country and for export abroad. The criminal operation was reportedly well-organized, with the narcotics being distributed in Dushanbe and the Rasht district (Rasht Valley in eastern Tajikistan).
Arrests and group leaders
The Ministry of Internal Affairs identified 39-year-old Gholibjon Ghaniyev, a resident of the Mir-Sayyid-Hamadoni district in Khatlon province, as the leader of the group. Ghaniyev had previously been sentenced to seven years in prison for drug trafficking.
Other arrested individuals include 52-year-olds Mahmadroib Asrorov and Hakimjon Mahmadjonov from the Rasht district, as well as the 31-year-old Firouz Mirzoyev and the 41-year-old Mukhtor Rajabov from the Mir-Sayyid-Ali-Hamadoni district. All of them had previously been convicted for drug-related offenses and served prison sentences.
Drugs and smuggling methods
Investigators discovered that the arrested individuals were receiving drugs via an Afghan national named Yusuf, who delivered packages containing hashish, opium, and methamphetamine. These substances were hidden in various locations in the capital and surrounding areas, with plans for further export.
"In November 2025, they received 80 packages of drugs through the Afghan national. Part of the narcotics was hidden in the Mir-Sayyid-Ali-Hamadoni and Shohmansour districts," the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported. In videos released by authorities, Gholibjon Ghanie0yv admits to participating in drug trafficking, although the circumstances under which the confession was obtained remain unclear.
Other arrests and drug trafficking
Additionally, the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) of Tajikistan recently announced the arrest of two smugglers, one of whom is a citizen of Afghanistan.
Authorities reportedly seized 20 kilograms of drugs from the suspects. Oyatullo Odinayev, a Tajik citizen, and Mubaraksho Shaidullo, an Afghan national, had been collaborating since 2023, regularly engaging in drug smuggling across Tajikistan.
"In February 2026, Odinayev and Shaidullo acquired 20 packages of hashish and transported them to the city of Vahdat for sale," the report stated. Both suspects have confessed to their crimes, although the conditions under which the confessions were made are not specified.
Criminal charges
The arrested individuals are currently under investigation under Article 200, Part 4, Subparagraph "e" of the Criminal Code of Tajikistan, which deals with the illegal trafficking of narcotics or psychotropic substances in especially large quantities. This offense carries a prison sentence of 12 to 20 years.
