Organized Extortion Group Dismantled in Denau District

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Law enforcement authorities in the Denau District of Surkhandarya Region have dismantled an organized criminal group that had been systematically engaging in extortion of material valuables from citizens through threats and violence.

The group was led by a 1990-born citizen previously convicted under Article 277 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan (Hooliganism). He recruited three associates, born in 1986, 2001, and 2002, all of whom are athletes, using physical force to intimidate victims.

Investigations revealed that more than ten people, including minors, suffered from the group’s illegal activities. In one case, the perpetrators intervened in a land dispute and demanded 20 million soms from a 1987-born citizen, threatening his family. In another instance, they extorted 10 million soms from a teenager born in 2006, threatening him with a knife, coercing immoral acts, and blackmailing him with video recordings. The victim was forced to travel to Russia to earn the demanded sum.

Authorities also uncovered instances of arbitrary extortion from young people using violence. In one episode, a 2008-born individual was forced into a car, taken to a remote area, threatened with a knife, and blackmailed with videos depicting torture, with the group extorting a total of $39,800.

Law enforcement reports indicate that the group made no distinctions based on age, gender, or social status, and intervened across various areas, including mobile phone trade, salary disbursements, car sales, employment, and debt collection.

A criminal case has been initiated under Articles 165 (Extortion), 137 (Kidnapping), 138 (Illegal Confinement), and 141-3 (Disclosure of Information Violating Honor and Dignity) of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan. The investigation is ongoing.