The head of the Dostuk road border crossing between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan has been detained and placed in custody on suspicion of corruption and artificially creating vehicle queues. According to Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security, the official allegedly accepted bribes through intermediaries in exchange for facilitating truck crossings and turning a blind eye to unlawful activities at the checkpoint.

At the same time, pressure has increased on the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border. Kazakhstan has tightened customs inspections, leading to significant congestion of trucks at road border crossings. The Eurasian Economic Commission stated that longer processing times on the Kazakh side are behind the growing queues.

Kazakh authorities describe the measures as targeted and temporary, aimed at combating illegal trade flows that may pose risks to national security. Taken together, these developments heighten transit risks in the region and raise fresh concerns about the transparency and efficiency of border administration.