Two Senior Police Officers Detained in Syrdarya Region for Extortion

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — In October 2025, a theft of polyethylene film from a plot belonging to a gardening company was reported in the Khavast District of Syrdarya Region. A formal complaint was submitted to the local Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) unit.

Two senior officers of the operational-investigative service of the local Department of Internal Affairs — a lieutenant colonel and a major — detained four suspects and forcibly brought them to the police station.

According to case materials, the officers, threatening to initiate a criminal case and arrest the individuals, demanded 55 million soums from the detainees for “resolving the issue” and an additional 24 million soums allegedly to compensate for damages.

They also extorted 11 million soums for promising not to open a criminal case and to transfer the matter to administrative proceedings.

During a joint inspection conducted by the State Security Service of Syrdarya Region, the regional prosecutor’s office, and the Main Directorate of Personal Security of the MIA, the senior officers were detained with evidence of receiving 11 million soums.

A criminal case has been opened against them under Part 2, clauses “v” and “g” of Article 210 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan (bribery). They have been remanded in custody, and investigative actions are ongoing.