Two men in Tajikistan’s capital have been arrested on suspicion of fraud after impersonating traffic police officers and extorting money from drivers, according to the Dushanbe Police Department.
The arrests were made by officers of the Sino District Police Department No. 1 as part of an investigative operation. The suspects, identified as Dushanbe residents Abdujabbor Sharifzoda and Jumakhon Jurakhonov, allegedly posed as road patrol officers.
According to the police press service, the two men wore official uniforms of the traffic police and "deceptively demanded and collected various sums of money" from drivers under false pretenses.
"Such illegal actions undermine the authority of law enforcement and erode public trust," the department noted.
Criminal proceedings are being prepared against the suspects, and a preliminary investigation is underway. Police are urging anyone who may have been a victim of these individuals to contact the Dushanbe police via the hotline: (+992) 018020202.
This incident follows a similar case in November, when police detained individuals impersonating officers who were stopping vehicles at night on rural roads and extorting money from intoxicated or traffic-violating drivers.
