Correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” report that on 26 January, 2022 officers of the Interior Ministry conducted an operation in Dashoguz velayat to detain illegal taxi drivers and their passengers despite the ban to travel between the Turkmen provinces.
With the help of helicopters the police officers located five off-road vehicles in the sands in the district of Mal-yab. A total of 30 people, including five drivers and 25 passengers, were detained.
The passengers were urged to return to Dashoguz in the same vehicles while the drivers were fined 300 manats ($85,7 using the official rate or $14 at the actual “black market” rate) and the cars were transported to the car impound.
The taxi drivers were informed that their cars had been confiscated for at least a month.Additional penalties might be imposed on the car owners.
According to sources at “Chronicles of Turkmenistan”, similar operations were carried out in other provinces but we have not been able to learn the details.
In recent years, because of travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic Turkmen residents illegally move between the regions through the deserts in vehicles.
After the quarantine measures were tightened in mid January 2022, taxi fares charged by illegal drivers soared.
For instance, taxi drivers charge 2500 manats per passenger ($714 using the official rate or $119 at the current “black market” rate) to get from Turkmenbashi to Ashgabat despite the fact that the previous fare was 1500 manats.
Drivers inform passengers in advance that they will have to drive through the desert to circumvent police checkpoints; otherwise they will have to pay large bribes to police officers since tightened control has been introduced.
One can legally get to another region in a plane but a permit needs to be issued by a special commission under the local khyakimlik’s office.
Critical medical procedures, the funeral of an immediate family members or a business trip are considered legitimate reasons.Bribes usually need to be paid in order to obtain each of the certificates.The post Dashoguz police officers in helicopters locate and detain illegal drivers in the desert first appeared on Chronicles of Turkmenistan.