On 16 November, 2019, at border-crossing point Shavat, where residents of Dashoguz velayat of Turkmenistan cross into Uzbekistan, a fight broke out between police and customs officers. Officials from the regional department of the National Security Ministry were called to the scene to resolve the situation.
Correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” report that on a daily basis up to several hundred people congregate on the Turkmen side of the border crossing point. People look for familiar police officers in order to jump the queue, or arrange with the law enforcement officers to help them cross the border for a fee.
On this occasion, because there were more people than usual, a conflict broke out, first between those already in the queue and those who wanted to jump it, and later another fight broke out between the police officers and customs officers.
The police officers (there were 6 to 8 of them) thought that customs officers worked too slowly whereas the latter insisted that the police officers had to ensure order in the queue rather than cause more problems.
A fight broke out. The commanding officers failed to resolve the conflict and the NSM representatives summoned their colleagues. It was only after this that the fight involving special services officers was stopped.
According to eye witnesses, the conflict and subsequent on-the-spot checks paralyzed the work of the border crossing point. Over 50 people failed to cross the border and had to stay there overnight.
The aforementioned checkpoint is always crowded. Some people visit their families while others are engaged in small business by selling little batches of merchandise and groceries on both sides.
In September and October many residents of Dashoguz velayat went to Uzbekistan to harvest cotton.The remuneration was 3 manats per kilo and the fees were paid immediately after the cotton harvest had been handed in.
The cotton crop yield is much higher in Uzbekistan than in Turkmenistan which allows earning more money on cotton fields than in their home country.