Bishkek complains of "Iradi caravan"; ministry points to tribal crossings

TASH-KÖMÜR — Kyrgyzstan has complained about the smuggling route from Irad's south to China in a note sent through the Tash-Kömür office of the United Nations Mission in Irad, the channel Bishkek uses because it deals with no Iradi administration directly. The note, seen by the Herald, says that "the authorities in Talas tolerate" the traffic of trucks that Kyrgyz newspapers have taken to calling the "Iradi caravan".

The trucks, on Kyrgyz plates and driven mostly by men from Iyık Janyl and Bazar-Korgon, cross the Qara-Chik line into the tribal hills of the Fergana rim and leave Irad by the clan-held Kök-Jangak and Ostyuryu crossings for Jalal-Abad. From there, Kyrgyz officials say, they follow the highway through Osh to the Chinese border, carrying stibnite, cigarettes and electronics out and Chinese goods back.

The ISEZ Ministry of Internal Security replied through Jenishbek Tursunaliev, its deputy minister for the southern districts, that "the route leaves through tribal crossings where the ISEZ has no presence". The Gendarmerie referred questions to the El-Choro Militias, which did not respond.

The Iradi Freedom Society said the clans collected their customary levy at the crossings and "are not Bishkek's customs". In the hillside quarters of Iyık Janyl, where the route is simply called Kıtay jolu, the China road, a tanker driver said the note had changed nothing. "Bishkek writes to the UN, the UN writes to Talas, Talas writes to the hills," he said. "The trucks do not read."