Prices for mutton fell in a Tashkent bazaar on June 7 when security forces dumped special cuts at 50 percent discounts, according to local media.
At the Eski Zhuva Bazaar, the rumps, racks and flanks all arrived affixed with tags listing local law enforcement agencies, ca-news.org reported, though no one seemed sure how the markdown ruminants got to market.
"For example, you could buy meat from the State Tax Inspectorate, the city prosecutor's office or the General Directorate of Internal Affairs of Tashkent," uznews.net added.
Tashkent will host the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting this week, leading one analyst to speculate the authorities are sheepishly trying to beef up local support before the high profile event.
David Trilling is Eurasianet’s managing editor.
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