Criminal proceedings have bene instituted against the senior investigator of the operational-investigative department of the Interior Ministry Special Division, U.N. Abdullozoda, on charges of committing a crime related to fraud, the press center of the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption under the President of Tajikistan reports.
According to the investigation, Abdullozoda, using his official position, conspired with colleagues and committed fraudulent actions.
He deceitfully gained the trust of the brother of the detained citizen Sh.K.—Sh.Sh.—convincing him that he could "free" his brother from criminal liability and administrative detention.
"Knowing that Sh.K. was under administrative arrest for committing an administrative offense, and that there were no investigative materials on a drug-related case against him, Abdullozoda however claimed that an alleged criminal case was being prepared against Sh.K. for the illegal trafficking of narcotic substances," the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption says.
Under this pretext, he demanded 200,000 somonis from Sh.Sh. for the "release" of his brother.
"Sh.Sh., unaware of Abdullozoda’s criminal intentions, transferred 190,000 somonis through intermediaries in several installments in January 2025. After receiving the money, Abdullozoda appropriated it, causing significant material damage to the victim," the anticorruption agency notes.
Criminal proceedings have reportedly been instituted against Abdullozoda under the provisions of Article 247 (4) of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – fraud committed by a group of individuals on a particularly large scale; an investigation is under way.
If convicted, Abdullozoda could faces up to 12 years in prison with property confiscation.
According to the data from the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, the number of fraud-related crimes in the country over the first quarter of this year has increased by 38.2% compared to the same period last year. The number of economic crimes has risen 7.7%.
