Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A manager of an office of an LLC specializing in construction project design, together with a broker born in 1990, conspired to defraud an entrepreneur and gain his trust, according to law enforcement agencies.

They offered to sell a plot of land in the Mirabad district, which did not belong to them, for US$4 million, while demanding an advance payment of US$100,000 and an additional US$200,000 for processing the transfer of the land from non-residential to residential status, obtaining permits for constructing a cottage, preparing architectural and project documentation, and performing related works.

During a joint operation conducted by the State Security Service and the Department for Combating Economic Crimes, the fraudsters were detained with physical evidence at the moment they received the US$200,000.

A criminal case has been initiated against the detainees under Articles 168, Part 4(a) and 28, 211, Part 3(a) of the Criminal Code. They have been placed in pretrial detention.

Investigative measures are ongoing to identify any possible accomplices.