A drone-assisted raid in Gijduvan district of Uzbekistan’s Bukhara region uncovered the illegal extraction of a sand-and-gravel mixture. Environmental police said the violation was identified in the territory of Kukcha mahalla.
Investigators determined that a local resident had extracted sand and gravel without permission from a plot of land that did not belong to him. The activity was found to have been carried out without the required authorization.
Specialists calculated the environmental damage at 8.9 billion soums. Materials gathered in connection with the case have been sent to the Bukhara Region Prosecutor’s Office.
The prosecutor’s office is expected to assess the actions in legal terms, consider liability and address recovery of the damage caused to nature. The regional environmental authority said illegal extraction of mineral resources and unlawful use of natural resources carry liability, stressing: “Natural wealth is not anyone’s property.”
Uzbekistan also plans to expand the civilian use of drones and review the rules governing their operation.
