Police in Tajikistan’s capital have arrested a 30-year-old man suspected of large-scale real estate fraud, the Dushanbe Police Department reported on Monday.
The suspect, identified as Safialloh Amirzoda, is accused of defrauding citizens of more than 1 million somonis by falsely promising assistance in purchasing housing and expediting the processing of property documents. According to investigators, Amirzoda systematically misled victims, took large sums of money, and then cut off all contact.
The alleged scheme came to light following multiple complaints filed with Police Department No. 1 in Dushanbe’s Sino district. A subsequent investigation revealed that Amirzoda operated according to a premeditated plan.
He has been taken into custody and is currently under arrest. A criminal case has been opened against him under Article 247 of Tajikistan’s Criminal Code (Fraud). Authorities are continuing their investigation and working to identify other potential victims.
Dushanbe police are urging anyone who may have been affected by Amirzoda’s actions to contact them at 018-02-02-02. They also issued a warning to the public to remain vigilant when conducting real estate transactions, emphasizing the importance of working only with official institutions and accredited agencies.
Real estate fraud on the rise
This is not the first such case reported in Dushanbe. Earlier, a 27-year-old woman was arrested for posting fake rental listings on the classifieds site Somon.tj. Investigators uncovered 12 instances of fraud in which the suspect collected between 1,000 somonis and 2,500 somonis from each victim.
In a separate case, the director and an employee of the construction firm Jamol-Basir were detained after allegedly selling the same apartment to multiple buyers, collecting large payments from each.
Authorities say such crimes are becoming increasingly frequent and are urging residents to exercise caution.
