The key facts

  • 23 foreigners without documents engaged in fraud were found in a house in Tashkent's Yakkasaray district
  • A man offered the inspector a $1,000 bribe; the inspector refused
  • 80 phones, 21 laptops, 6 routers and 22 passports were seized; a case was opened under Article 278-8 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan

Underground center in a residential building

An underground call center has been uncovered in Tashkent's Yakkasaray district, where more than 23 foreign citizens without documents were engaged in fraudulently taking money and property from citizens. This was reported by the press service of the Tashkent City Police Department, and the outlet UzNews.uz published a story about it. While patrolling and inspecting the house's territory, law enforcement officers noticed a suspicious man and approached him to clarify information about the residents and the identity of the property owner, as well as to check documents.

Bribery attempt and search

After the inspector approached, another citizen came out of the house and began offering a bribe of $1,000. The inspector refused it, after which an additional check of the house began: 5–6 foreign citizens were found in each room, 23 people in total without the relevant documents. The residential premises were then searched in the presence of attesting witnesses; 80 mobile phones, 21 laptops, 6 Wi-Fi routers and 22 passports were seized as material evidence.

Crypto operations and criminal case

During the activities, the operations of a group connected with crypto assets were also halted: three foreign citizens repeatedly bought and sold crypto assets through online crypto exchanges without a license. The total volume of their transactions amounted to 27,910 USDT — the equivalent of more than 329 million soums. Based on this fact, the investigative department of the Internal Affairs Department of the Yakkasaray district opened a criminal case under Article 278-8 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan (violation of legislation in the sphere of crypto asset circulation); investigative actions are underway. The fate of the other detainees and their possible liability for fraud are not specified in the report.