Arrest - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 16

Former Head of Astana Metro Project Detained in Turkey

Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee (KNB) has confirmed the detention of Talgat Ardan, the former head of the Astana Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, in Turkey. Ardan, who had been placed on an international wanted list, is accused of embezzling significant budgetary funds allocated for the capital’s metro system. Legal proceedings against Ardan stem from a major corruption case that surfaced in 2020. A criminal trial launched in Astana that autumn revealed the alleged embezzlement of billions of tenge earmarked for the LRT’s construction. In May 2021, seven individuals were sentenced to prison terms ranging from seven to ten years. Two key figures, Ardan and former Astana deputy mayor Kanat Sultanbekov, were named as the scheme’s organizers and subsequently added to Interpol’s red notice list. “In September 2019, the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan submitted an extradition request to Turkey’s Ministry of Justice. Following this, Turkish authorities initiated a search. This year, the KNB confirmed Ardan’s whereabouts, and he was detained by law enforcement in Antalya,” the committee’s press service reported. On May 9, a court in Antalya approved his deportation to Kazakhstan, where he remains in custody pending extradition proceedings. An Astana court had previously found Ardan guilty in absentia under Articles 189, Part 4, and 361, Part 4 of the Criminal Code, covering the embezzlement of budget funds and abuse of office. He was sentenced to nine years in prison. Investigators reported that KZT 5.8 billion (approximately $11 million) was misappropriated during the construction of the LRT line. Ardan led the project from 2014 to 2017. The Astana LRT was originally slated for completion before the Expo 2017 exhibition but suffered repeated delays due to financial shortfalls. In 2022, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev questioned the viability of the project, pointing to its 22-kilometer route and limited utility. He suggested repurposing the already-installed infrastructure. Nevertheless, city authorities opted to continue construction. Then-Mayor Altai Kulginov argued that dismantling the partially built system would cost more than completing it. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the city’s current mayor, Zhenis Kasymbek, has pledged to open the first phase of the LRT by the end of this year.

Visa UAE Arrest

Visa-Free Deal Under Review After Arrests of Uzbek Citizens in Dubai

The visa-free arrangement between Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates could be in jeopardy because of the increase in alleged violations by Uzbek citizens in the emirates, according to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The leadership of the Dubai Criminal Investigation Department told Uzbek diplomats in a meeting that 15 Uzbek nationals had been detained in an incident and an investigation was underway, Akhror Burkhanov, spokesman for the Uzbek ministry, said on Telegram. Several Uzbek media outlets have reported that two groups of Uzbeks clashed in a street brawl this month and that some of them were stabbed. Some reports said one person was killed. In the meeting between Uzbek and UAE officials, it was noted “that the recent increase in violations committed by Uzbek citizens could affect the visa-free regime between the two countries,” Burkhanov said in the post on Friday. He said the foreign ministry is working with law enforcement agencies on the matter and urged Uzbek citizens “to refrain from actions that tarnish the honor of our compatriots abroad.” In March, a court in Abu Dhabi sentenced three Uzbek citizens to death after they were convicted of abducting and murdering Zvi Kogan, an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi whose body was discovered in the Emirati city of Al Ain in November 2024. A fourth person convicted in the killing was sentenced to life in prison. An emissary for the ultra-Orthodox Chabad Hasidic movement in the UAE, Kogan also served as an aide to his brother-in-law, Levi Duchman, the Chief Rabbi of the UAE, who normalized ties with Israel in late 2020, a move met with skepticism in the UAE and across the wider Muslim world. Israel said the killing of Kogan was an act of terror. Some Uzbek citizens, meanwhile, have encountered problems trying to enter the United Arab Emirates. The visa-free regime between Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates started early last year. Citizens can travel to each other´s countries without a visa if they don’t stay any longer than 30 days. “This measure is considered an important step towards enhancing joint cooperation in the fields of politics, economics, culture, education and other areas of common interest,” the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Uzbekistan Social Media Arrest social media incident hate speeches TikToker Arrest Hate Speech Valeriy Yugay

TikToker Arrested for Insulting Uzbek Citizens Online

Valeriy Yugay, a TikToker from Uzbekistan’s Tashkent region known online as Abdullah, has been arrested after making a series of offensive videos targeting Uzbek citizens while abroad. According to Bobur Tulaganov, spokesperson for the Tashkent Regional Department of Internal Affairs, Yugay recorded and published the videos during his stay in South Korea in October and November 2024. In the videos, he allegedly insulted Uzbeks, made statements that could incite ethnic hatred, and expressed disrespect for national values and religious beliefs. Yugay was returned to Uzbekistan on March 25, arriving on a flight from Abu Dhabi to Samarkand, where he was immediately detained by law enforcement authorities. A criminal case has been opened against him under Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code, and a court has ordered his pre-trial detention while the investigation proceeds. The 26-year-old reportedly made several inflammatory statements, including denying the legitimacy of the Uzbek state, expressing regret about being born there, and vowing never to return. In one particularly controversial video, he insulted Uzbek women and claimed he would harm his own mother in exchange for social media likes and followers. The Internal Affairs Department stated that his remarks sparked widespread public outrage across Uzbekistan. Following his arrest, Yugay admitted guilt and issued a public apology. “I, Valeriy Yugay, insulted our people on social media. I did it for attention and recognition. But now I realize my mistake and deeply regret it. I sincerely apologize to everyone,” he said.

Space Exploration Arrest Baikonur

Three Spaniards, One Australian Detained at Baikonur Cosmodrome

The Baikonur Cosmodrome in a remote part of Kazakhstan has long held allure for people – trespassers included - who are intrigued by its storied role as a facility that pioneered early space exploration and remains a vital part of Russia’s space program. Three Spanish citizens and one Australian were detained while trying to get into a restricted area housing old space infrastructure at Baikonur on Tuesday night, reported RIA Novosti, a Russian state-owned news agency. It cited an unidentified source. Another Russian media organization, Tass, later reported that the Spaniards had been released and that the Spanish embassy in Astana was working to help them. Tass did not report on the status of the Australian. The attempted break-in at the Russian-run base occurred in the area of the disused assembly and refueling complex of the Buran spacecraft, a space shuttle that was developed in the 1970s and 1980s by the Soviet Union, whose leaders were concerned that the U.S. space shuttle program posed a possible military threat. The Buran flew once in 1988, but the program was abandoned because of high costs and a lack of purpose. In 2022, British YouTuber Benjamin Rich documented his trip to Baikonur, where he was also detained by Russian authorities. The journey involved walking with a companion for many hours across the desert, shielding themselves from the sun with umbrellas. They were able to enter the decrepit Buran hangar and see the space shuttle but got caught by guards as they were leaving the facility. Rich said he and his companion paid a fine of $50 each and were released. Last year, RIA Novosti reported that two French citizens tried to reach Baikonur by the same method, but one died of dehydration during the arduous journey on foot. The first man to go into space, Yuri Gagarin, and the first woman, Valentina Tereshkova, took off from the Baikonur cosmodrome, which is run by Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, under an agreement with the Kazakh government. Russia continues to launch spacecraft from there, sometimes in joint missions with NASA. The first launch from Baikonur in 2025 occurred on Feb. 28, when a Soyuz rocket hoisted a Russian spacecraft carrying three tons of food, fuel and other supplies that were delivered to the International Space Station.

Black Market Victims Organs Arrest Human Trafficking

Ukrainian Fugitive Arrested in Poland for Organ Trafficking in Central Asia

A 35-year-old Ukrainian woman has been arrested in Przemyśl, Poland, based on an Interpol Red Notice, according to the country’s prosecutor’s office. She has been on the run since November 9, 2020, after being sentenced to 12 years in prison by a court in Kazakhstan for her role in an organized crime group involved in human organ trafficking. On March 6, 2025, border guards at the railway crossing in Przemyśl detained Ksenia P. (whose name is protected under Polish privacy laws) during a routine inspection. Authorities confirmed that she had been convicted in Kazakhstan for her involvement in an international criminal group that operated between 2017 and 2019. The group illegally harvested human tissues and organs for sale on the black market. Ksenia P. was found guilty of obtaining human kidneys from 56 victims across several countries, including Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Thailand. The illegal trade was conducted for financial gain, with the criminal network relying on it as a steady source of income. Following her arrest, the District Prosecutor’s Office in Przemyśl questioned Ksenia P. and, on March 7, 2025, requested the District Court to impose a temporary seven-day detention. This measure is intended to facilitate her extradition to Kazakhstan, where she is expected to serve her sentence.

Terrorism Arrest ISIS-K

Tajik National Arrested in U.S. for Supporting ISIS-K, Faces 45 Years in Prison

A Tajik national has been arrested in the United States on charges of supporting the terrorist group ISIS-Khorasan. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 33-year-old Manuchehr Mansuri was detained in Brooklyn, New York, on suspicion of terrorist ties, illegal weapons possession, and immigration fraud. Investigation Findings Authorities discovered that Mansuri entered the U.S. in 2016 on a tourist visa but overstayed after it expired. To legalize his status, he allegedly entered into a sham marriage with a U.S. citizen. During his time in the U.S., he worked as a truck driver and traveled frequently across the country. Between December 2021 and April 2023, Mansuri transferred approximately $70,000 to individuals affiliated with ISIS-Khorasan in Turkey and Syria. Among the recipients was a Tajik national arrested in January 2024 by Turkish authorities for participating in an attack on a Catholic church in Istanbul. The terrorist group Wilayat Khorasan later claimed responsibility for the attack. Investigators also found extremist materials in Mansuri’s possession, including content praising convicted terrorist Sayfullo Saipov, who carried out the 2017 New York truck attack. He also had sermons by former ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and material from Gulmurod Halimov, the former head of the Tajik OMON (Special Purpose Police Unit), who joined ISIS in 2015. Most of these materials were in Russian and Tajik. Authorities further determined that Mansuri trained with firearms, despite being legally barred from possessing them. He allegedly sent videos of his training to supporters, declaring his willingness to aid ISIS. Legal Proceedings and Potential Sentence If convicted, Mansuri faces up to 45 years in prison. A team of prosecutors from the Eastern District of New York, supported by counterterrorism experts, is handling the case. A judge will determine his sentence based on federal guidelines and other legal factors. Related Arrests of Tajik Nationals in U.S. Earlier, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested eight Tajik nationals in New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles as part of an FBI counterterrorism investigation. The individuals were under surveillance due to suspected links to ISIS. According to sources, two of them crossed the U.S. southern border in 2023, with one using the CBP One mobile app to apply for asylum. While they have not been formally charged with terrorism, they were arrested for immigration violations and remain in ICE custody, awaiting possible deportation. The investigation into their potential ties to terrorist activity is ongoing, and additional charges may follow.