Uzbek customs officials have dismantled a large-scale regional drug trafficking network operating via the Telegram messaging app, revealing one of Central Asia’s most extensive online narcotics markets. Several key distributors were arrested in a series of coordinated operations carried out in August and September 2025, according to Uzbekistan’s customs service.
At the center of the investigation was a darknet drug marketplace known as “Deadpool,” which had been active since 2017 and maintained a following of around 4,000 subscribers. On August 31, a special operation in the Khodjaobod district of Andijan region led to the arrest of a suspect caught with 602 grams of alpha-PVP, a synthetic stimulant. The drugs had been smuggled from Kyrgyzstan. Investigators determined that the individual had been working with the Deadpool network since 2023 and was involved in distributing nearly 50 kilograms of synthetic drugs over a two-year period.
A second major operation was conducted on September 10 in the Zangiota district of Tashkent region, where two additional suspects were detained while receiving a package containing 492.2 grams of clephedrone. Authorities stated that both individuals had been affiliated with the network for at least six months and were responsible for distributing over 12,500 doses of synthetic drugs.
Each distributor reportedly managed a network of at least 10 “zakladchiki,” or low-level dealers, who placed drugs in public spaces such as parks and areas near educational institutions across multiple districts of Tashkent.
A criminal case has been opened, and investigations are ongoing.
The crackdown in Uzbekistan coincides with a broader regional effort to combat synthetic drug trafficking. In Kazakhstan, Interior Minister Yerzhan Sadenov reported that authorities seized 6.4 tons of narcotics during the first half of 2025. This included 570 kilograms of synthetic substances, nearly double the amount seized during the same period last year and led to the closure of 103 illegal drug laboratories.
Kazakhstan’s law enforcement also blocked more than 17,000 drug-related websites, detained 474 suspects, and disrupted 63 smuggling operations. Among those arrested were 28 administrators of similar Telegram drug distribution channels.