DUSHANBE, December 25, 2013, Asia-Plus -- Representative of Pulkovo Airlines at Dushanbe airport, Erkinjon Hakimov, has been detained on suspicion of having been involved in currency smuggling, according to the Customs Service under the Government of Tajikistan.

An inspection of passengers on the Dushanbe – St. Petersburg  flight found 26.394 million Russian rubles (equivalent to some 800,000 U.S. dollars) in  a bag belonging to the 36-year-old resident of the Roudaki district, Komiljon Aliyev.

“The preliminary investigation has established that the confiscated money belongs to Fayzali Mirzoyev and he tried to transport the money to St. Petersburg acting in collusion with Komiljon Aliyev and representative of Pulkovo Airlines at Dushanbe airport, Erkinjon Hakimov,” Nourullo Sharipov, a spokesman for the Customs Service, told Asia-Plus in an interview.

Criminal proceedings have been instituted against the detained smugglers under the provisions of Article 289 (3) of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – smuggling; an investigation is under way.