Justice - The Times Of Central Asia

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Drugs Bust

Former Kazakh Nuclear Engineer Helps Federal Agents Bust $20 Million Fentanyl Operation

A routine vehicle delivery across the United States turned into a federal drug operation after a former Kazakh nuclear industry engineer spotted warning signs in the behavior of a customer. Serik Jaxybayev, who now works in logistics in the United States, was transporting a vehicle from Los Angeles to Minneapolis in March 2026 when the intended recipient gave him cause for alarm. According to Jaxybayev, the customer repeatedly demanded location updates, and then insisted on meeting in a parking lot rather than at the address provided for delivery. Instead of ignoring his suspicions, Jaxybayev contacted Trooper Cody Parr of the Kansas Highway Patrol and asked for the vehicle to be stopped and inspected as he passed through Kansas. That decision led to the discovery of a hidden cache of fentanyl with an estimated street value of about $20 million, according to a March 25 letter of appreciation sent to Jaxybayev by the Kansas Highway Patrol. The letter thanked him for his assistance and bravery, and said the operation had involved state and federal agents, including the FBI and the DEA. [video width="848" height="480" mp4="https://timesca.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-02-at-19.12.02.mp4"][/video] From Nuclear Engineer to Long-Haul Driver Jaxybayev previously spent 21 years working for Kazatomprom, Kazakhstan’s national atomic company. He holds a degree from Tomsk Polytechnic University, one of Russia’s best-known engineering universities, and moved to the United States in July 2023. He later obtained approval under the U.S. EB-1 immigration category, which is used for people with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors or researchers, and certain multinational executives or managers. He received his green card in October 2024. While rebuilding his career in the U.S., Jaxybayev obtained a commercial driver’s license in the summer of 2024, and began working for Spark Prime Logistics. “I contribute to the U.S. economy,” Jaxybayev told The Times of Central Asia. “Last year, I paid around $13,000 in taxes. In the future, I want to return to working in the nuclear industry.” “My Suspicions Were Immediate” The delivery initially appeared routine. But Jaxybayev said the customer’s behavior changed as the truck approached its destination. The recipient was nervous, called repeatedly, and pressed for precise updates on the truck’s location. The request to meet away from the stated delivery address made him especially uneasy. “My suspicions were immediate,” Jaxybayev told TCA. He contacted Parr, an officer with the Kansas Highway Patrol, and asked whether law enforcement could inspect the vehicle. Parr agreed to meet him as he passed through Kansas. A Controlled Delivery When officers stopped and inspected the vehicle, they found fentanyl hidden inside it. Jaxybayev then continued the journey under instructions from law enforcement so that agents could move against the wider criminal organization. A letter of appreciation from the Kansas Highway Patrol praised Jaxybayev’s “fearlessness and courage in keeping America safe,” and stated that his actions “potentially saved hundreds of lives on the street, or thousands had the suspects chosen to use it for terrorism purposes. Your bravery in assisting State and Federal agents in taking down this criminal organization...

Amnesty

Kazakhstan Amnesty Bill Could Free 1,500 Inmates, Excludes Violent Offenders

Kazakhstan’s Mazhilis, the lower house of parliament, has approved in its first reading a draft amnesty law tied to the adoption of the country’s new Constitution. The measure could affect approximately 16,500 people, including around 1,500 inmates who could be released from prisons and other detention facilities. The initiative is notable for its scale and because it combines criminal and administrative amnesty measures for the first time in Kazakhstan’s history. According to lawmakers, the administrative component alone could affect around one million unpaid fines. The proposal has sparked public debate over whether individuals involved in high-profile criminal cases could benefit from the measure. Some lawmakers have also argued that journalists and bloggers convicted under controversial legislation should be included. Who Will Benefit? According to Snezhanna Imasheva, chair of the Mazhilis Committee on Legislation and Judicial and Legal Reform, individuals convicted of minor offenses and criminal misdemeanors would be eligible for full release from punishment. For offenses classified as medium severity, a different approach would apply. Individuals who caused no damage, or who have fully compensated victims, could qualify for complete release. Others could receive reductions in the remaining portions of their sentences. Among the most common offenses covered by the amnesty are theft, livestock theft, and embezzlement or misappropriation of entrusted property. Certain economic crimes may also qualify for partial sentence reductions. In some cases, individuals convicted of fraud could receive reduced sentences, provided the offenses do not involve corruption, particularly large-scale damages, or other exclusions specified in the legislation. Imasheva said that approximately one million unpaid administrative fines totaling nearly $33 million could be written off. The measure would apply to fines for offenses committed before midnight on March 17, 2026, shortly after Kazakhstan’s new Constitution was adopted in a nationwide referendum. Who Will Not Be Released? The draft law excludes crimes against life and health, corruption offenses, terrorism, and extremism. Those convicted of murder, assisting suicide, intentional infliction of serious, moderate, or minor bodily harm, assault, torture, stalking, HIV transmission, and sexual offenses will not be eligible for amnesty. Those convicted of murder, assisting suicide, intentional infliction of bodily harm, assault, torture, stalking, HIV transmission, and sexual offenses will not be eligible for amnesty. The measure also excludes recently criminalized offenses such as acting as a financial “dropper” in fraud schemes and bride kidnapping. High-Profile Convicts Remain Excluded Former minister of national economy Kuandyk Bishimbayev, who was convicted in May 2024 of murdering his common-law wife, Saltanat Nukenova, will neither be released nor receive a sentence reduction. His convictions for murder committed with extreme cruelty and torture fall among the offenses excluded from the amnesty. Another widely publicized defendant, Perizat Kairat, will also be ineligible. Kairat, the founder of the charity Biz Birgemiz Qazaqstan 2030, was convicted in a high-profile fraud case involving funds raised for flood victims and other charitable causes. Lawmakers said her conviction for large-scale fraud falls under offenses excluded from the amnesty. In July 2025, Kairat was sentenced to ten years in prison, while her...

Citizenship Revocation

Russia Cancels Citizenship of Eight People Originally From Central Asia

Russia’s Federal Security Service and Ministry of Internal Affairs have revoked the citizenship of eight naturalized people originally from Central Asia, citing alleged threats to national security, Interfax reported. The Federal Security Service (FSB) said the citizenship cancellations were carried out under Russia’s 2023 citizenship law, which allows authorities to strip naturalized citizens of Russian nationality in certain cases related to national security and public safety. Among those affected is a resident of Russia’s Tver region who had previously been convicted several times of arranging fictitious registrations and residency permits for foreign nationals and Russian citizens. According to the FSB, one of the people whose status he helped legalize in Russia is suspected of assisting the perpetrators of the March 2024 terrorist attack at Moscow’s Crocus City Hall concert venue, which killed more than 140 people and became one of the deadliest attacks in modern Russian history. Authorities also revoked the citizenship of a resident of the Tula region who, according to the FSB, presented himself as a figure in the local criminal underworld. He had been convicted of illegal weapons possession and sentenced to one year and six months in a penal settlement. The remaining cases involved people living in several Russian regions. The FSB said a resident of Buryatia promoted nationalist views directed against Russia’s indigenous population, while a resident of the Altai region had repeatedly faced criminal charges for assault-related offenses. Three residents of the Tyumen region were stripped of citizenship for allegedly spreading what authorities described as anti-Russian sentiments and encouraging people to organize along ethnic lines to participate in interethnic conflicts. Another resident of the Arkhangelsk region was accused of contributing to tensions in interethnic and interfaith relations. The FSB did not disclose the countries of origin of the eight people, describing them only as natives of Central Asia. The move comes amid increased scrutiny of migration and naturalization policies in Russia following the Crocus City Hall attack. Russian authorities have tightened migration controls and expanded security checks involving foreign nationals and naturalized citizens from Central Asia, a region that remains a major source of labor migration to Russia. Under the citizenship law adopted in 2023, Russian citizenship obtained through naturalization can be revoked for a range of offenses that authorities classify as threats to national security.

Tajik Migrants

Tajik Migrant in Russia Receives Nearly $15,000 in Unpaid Wages After Government Intervention

A Tajik labor migrant working in Russia has received nearly $15,000 in unpaid wages following an intervention by Tajikistan’s Ministry of Labor, Migration and Employment, the ministry said. According to the ministry’s representative office in Russia, the worker approached officials in May, alleging that a private Russian company had failed to pay his salary. The office then contacted the employer, which later settled the debt in full. The worker received 1.065 million rubles, or about $14,800, according to the ministry. The company was not named. The ministry urged Tajik citizens seeking employment in Russia to sign formal labor contracts and retain copies of the documents, saying the absence of written agreements often complicates efforts to recover unpaid wages and protect workers’ rights. Officials said migrants can also seek assistance from the ministry’s representative office in Russia on employment issues and labor disputes. Labor migration remains one of Tajikistan’s main sources of household income, with remittances sent home by migrants, most of them employed in Russia, supporting many families across the country. World Bank estimates show that remittance inflows reached 49% of Tajikistan’s GDP in 2024, up from 39% a year earlier. Tajik labor officials have said almost all citizens who leave Tajikistan for work go to Russia, making wage disputes there a direct concern for household income at home. The ministry said its representative office has previously helped Tajik migrants recover more than $3.4 million in unpaid wages from employers in Russia. In cases where employment relationships are not formally documented, the authorities often have to pursue claims through the courts, although most such cases are resolved in favor of workers, according to the ministry.

KazZinc

Kazakhstan Says Violation of Production Procedures Preliminary Cause of Deadly Kazzinc Blast

A fatal explosion at a Kazzinc plant in eastern Kazakhstan was preliminarily caused by a violation of technological procedures, Emergency Situations Minister Chingis Arinov said on Monday, as authorities continue to investigate the incident that killed three workers. The blast occurred on May 5 at a processing workshop in Ust-Kamenogorsk, where a dust-collection unit exploded, triggering a fire and the partial collapse of the facility. Two employees were killed at the scene, while a third later died in hospital from injuries sustained in the accident. Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov placed the investigation under his personal supervision following the incident. “The preliminary cause of the explosion at the Kazzinc plant was a violation of the technological process,” Arinov told a government meeting. He said previous inspections had identified multiple industrial safety violations at the facility, including discrepancies in technical documentation, missing assessments required to extend the service life of equipment, deviations from approved engineering designs, weak production controls, and delays in replacing worn-out machinery. Arinov said the investigation remains ongoing and that several expert examinations have been commissioned. A decision on any company liability will be made once the review is completed. The minister also outlined preliminary findings from a separate fatal accident at the Artemyevskaya mine, operated by Vostoktsvetmet, a subsidiary of KAZ Minerals. A rockfall at the mine on May 30 killed one worker. According to Arinov, investigators believe the accident was linked to mining operations conducted in violation of project documentation and inadequate worksite management. Speaking at the same meeting, Labor and Social Protection Minister Askarbek Yertayev said the authorities had recorded 39 cases this year in which employers allegedly concealed workplace injuries. The highest number of cases was reported in the services sector, with 18 incidents, followed by manufacturing and construction, with five cases each. Regionally, the largest numbers were recorded in Atyrau Region, Astana, and Akmola Region, he said. Yertayev said the practice allows employers to avoid liability while depriving injured workers of compensation and social benefits. According to government data, about 479,000 people in Kazakhstan currently work in hazardous or harmful conditions. The industrial sector accounts for 295,000 of those workers, including 173,000 in mining and 122,000 in manufacturing. The largest concentrations of workers employed in hazardous conditions are in Karaganda Region, followed by Pavlodar, Mangystau, and East Kazakhstan regions. The figures add to wider concerns over enforcement in Kazakhstan’s heavy industries, where aging equipment, subcontracting chains, and pressure to maintain production can make safety oversight difficult. Kazakhstan has faced increased scrutiny over industrial safety standards following a series of deadly accidents in the mining and metals sectors. Last year, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ordered a nationwide review of industrial facilities to assess compliance with safety regulations.

Human Rights

Rights Groups Urge EU to Tie Turkmenistan Relations to Human Rights Progress

Rights groups have urged the European Union to take a tougher line on Turkmenistan, warning that closer ties with Ashgabat should be tied to measurable progress on human rights. The call came in a briefing by the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) and the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights (TIHR) ahead of the EU-Turkmenistan Human Rights Dialogue, scheduled for June 22, 2026, in Ashgabat. The organizations called on European institutions to press Turkmen authorities to take concrete steps to improve civil liberties, freedom of expression, and human rights protections. Turkmenistan remains one of the world’s most closed and repressive states, according to the briefing. It highlights severe restrictions on independent media, expanding internet censorship, the absence of independent civic space, persecution of government critics, transnational repression, impunity for torture and enforced disappearances, and continuing violations of women’s rights. The groups urged the EU to link any further development of relations with Turkmenistan, including ratification of the pending Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, to measurable progress on human rights. They also called on European officials to demand regular reporting from Turkmen authorities on the implementation of international recommendations and to share this information with independent civil society representatives. Media freedom is a central focus of the briefing. According to the 2026 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, Turkmenistan ranked 173rd out of 180 countries. The authors state that state-controlled media continue to function primarily as propaganda outlets, promoting an official image of prosperity despite economic hardship and systemic human rights violations. Access to alternative sources of information remains heavily restricted because of extensive internet censorship. The briefing also references cases involving the blocking of circumvention tools and raids targeting owners of Starlink satellite equipment. Rights advocates further argue that civic space in Turkmenistan is effectively closed to independent activity. Much of the public sector is controlled by government-linked structures, while many public-sector employees and students are pressured into financially supporting pro-government organizations. The briefing also highlights the continued practice of forced mobilization for mass state events. According to the organizations, civil servants, university students, and even children are regularly compelled to participate in large-scale public campaigns and rehearsals that can last for extended periods, raising concerns about health and safety. Despite official pledges to cooperate with international institutions, Turkmen authorities continue to restrict access to the country for independent observers and UN experts, the briefing says. It also lists cases of pressure and intimidation targeting journalists, activists, and human rights defenders. The organizations also expressed concern over discrimination against women, entrenched patriarchal practices, and the effects of the country’s prolonged socioeconomic crisis, which they say disproportionately affects women, labor migrants.