Employees of Kazakhstan's National Security Committee (KNB), in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor General's Office, have detained 50 members of a major organized crime group, according to the KNB press service. The special operation was conducted on September 18 across several regions of the country simultaneously: in Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, and the Aktobe, Atyrau, Almaty, Zhetysu, West Kazakhstan, and Pavlodar regions.
The suspects are accused of organizing a large-scale theft operation involving goods and vehicles, as well as financing organized crime, the statement indicates. According to investigators, they allegedly stole property from over 20 individuals, amounting to more than 2 billion tenge (over $4 million).
The group had a clear hierarchy and role distribution. It consisted of representatives from criminal circles and destructive religious environments, including some currently serving sentences in correctional facilities.
During searches, authorities found bank cards, large sums of money, extremist literature, records of money transfers, and other items of interest to the investigation among the detainees' possessions.
Details of the criminal case have been classified.
A similar special operation to detain organized crime group members was conducted by KNB, Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Prosecutor General's Office employees in early August. At that time, 15 alleged members of an organized crime group were arrested in Almaty and Shymkent. The group's leader is believed to be Arman Dzhumageldiеv, known as «Wild Arman.» «Despite the fact that the leader and main participants of the group have been arrested, other members continued to engage in illegal activities while at large,» the police noted in connection with this.
