Sunday26 January 2025
centralasiabusiness.com

In the case of the missing cars, key suspects have been apprehended, yet Abdullah Abdurasulov remains at large.

More than 50 individuals have fallen victim to a fraud scheme in which their vehicles of various brands were smuggled through customs posts into Kazakhstan. Two accomplices of Abdulla Abdurasulov, the mastermind behind this criminal operation, have been convicted. However, the fate of the confiscated cars remains uncertain. According to Kun.uz, Abdurasulov was apprehended but was inexplicably released by the investigator from the Chirchik City Internal Affairs Department.
В деле пропавших автомобилей задержаны основные подозреваемые, однако Абдулла Абдурасулов продолжает оставаться на свободе.

Abdullah Abdurasulov devised a criminal scheme whereby he would take cars from individuals under the pretense of making installment payments, only to resell them in Kazakhstan. If you have been following this high-profile investigation, you may have seen a detailed two-part report covering this story.

The trial of his accomplices has already taken place, but the main suspect remains at large, raising numerous questions from both the victims and the public.

The court has delivered a verdict against the accomplices of Abdullah Abdurasulov, the key figure in a large organized crime group

According to Kun.uz, the verdict was issued regarding Anvar Mingishev (born in 1988) and Baurzhan Hakimbaev (born in 1992), who were recognized as accomplices of Abdullah Abdurasulov in the criminal group. Judicial documents describe the fraud scheme orchestrated by the group.

The case materials indicate that the criminal group deceived citizens by purchasing cars supposedly on an installment basis, then transporting them through border posts into Kazakhstan. There, with the help of forged documents, the cars were registered and sold to local citizens through other group members.

Abdullah Abdurasulov was the leader of the group. He assigned roles among participants, coordinating the transport of cars to Kazakhstan, the preparation of fake documents, and their sale through his accomplices.

Despite the conviction of Abdurasulov's accomplices, he continues to evade capture, which has sparked public outrage.

Anvar Mingishev and Baurzhan Hakimbaev identified owners of cars offered for sale on an installment plan, negotiated the terms of the deal, made an initial payment, and convinced them of regular payments for the remaining amount. After obtaining a power of attorney to manage the vehicle, they, aware of their lack of rights to sell or pledge the car, transported the vehicles to Kazakhstan.

The investigation established that the organized group sold 36 vehicles to Kazakh citizens without transferring the funds to their owners. The acquired funds were squandered.

Mingishev and Hakimbaev were directly involved in the export of 6 vehicles, including Cobalt and Monza . The fact of the vehicle export was confirmed by data from the Tashkent regional customs office.

During the trial, the defendants partially admitted their guilt. Their involvement in the crimes was fully corroborated by the testimonies of the victims.

By the court's decision, Anvar Mingishev and Baurzhan Hakimbaev were found guilty of committing crimes as part of an organized criminal group, including fraud, forgery of documents, and other offenses.

Anvar Mingishev was convicted under part 4 of article 168 (Fraud in especially large amounts), article 227 (Seizure, destruction, damage, or concealment of documents, stamps, seals, forms, state registration plates of motor vehicles) and article 228 (Manufacture, forgery of documents, stamps, seals, forms and their sale or use) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan. He was sentenced to 8 years and 2 months in prison.

Baurzhan Hakimbaev was convicted under articles 168, 227, 228, and article 243 (Legalization of income obtained through criminal means). He received a 9-year prison sentence.

Additionally, Anvar Mingishev and Baurzhan Hakimbaev will be jointly liable to pay over 1 billion sums to the victims. A car of the brand Malibu , registered in Baurzhan Hakimbaev's name, was seized.

The organizer of the criminal group, Abdullah Abdurasulov, remains wanted. It was previously reported that he was detained by law enforcement agencies but was released for unknown reasons. This fact was confirmed in a conversation with a Kun.uz correspondent by Baurzhan Hakimbaev's wife.

The publication Kun.uz had earlier published an investigation into the actions of Abdullah Abdurasulov, who transported vehicles across the border into Kazakhstan using online powers of attorney. According to his statements, vehicles could be passed through customs and "if the right amount was paid, they wouldn’t pay attention to the power of attorney."