Smuggled cosmetic drug sickens 18 in southern Kyrgyzstan

A botched batch of smuggled Botox has left 18 people in the city of Osh, Kyrgyzstan, suffering from poisoning, prompting renewed scrutiny of unlicensed cosmetic procedures and illegal drug imports.

According to local media reports cited by Caliber.Az, the incident was confirmed by Aman Osmonov, a chief specialist with the Ministry of Health’s licensing department. The suspect responsible for importing the unauthorised Botox has had their medical licence revoked and is now under investigation by law enforcement authorities.

“Around 18 people were affected by the illegally imported drug. Measures have been taken against the individual who brought it into the country,” Osmonov stated.

The case has highlighted a broader issue with unregulated cosmetic procedures across Kyrgyzstan. Between May and June 2025, the Ministry of Health carried out inspections of 118 private clinics in the cities of Bishkek and Osh. As a result of serious violations, 78 of these clinics were shut down.

“We plan to cover the entire country by the end of the year. The moratorium on inspections was lifted this year, after being in place for two years. We were prepared for this—changes were made to legislation so that unannounced inspections as part of licensing control no longer require prior notice,” he added.

By Vugar Khalilov