Two men have been detained in the capital of Kazakhstan on suspicion of extorting money from the head of a construction company. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Polisia.kz.
According to Polisia.kz, they blackmailed the entrepreneur for two weeks, demanding money and gradually increasing the amount. The suspects threatened to spread information on social media that they claimed could damage the company's business reputation.
The total demand eventually reached 80 million tenge. The businessman contacted the police. During operational-search activities, both suspects were detained while handing over the money.
"It has been established that one of them is a lawyer. A criminal case has been opened on this fact, and all circumstances of the incident are being clarified. Both detainees have been placed in a temporary detention facility," police reported.
Earlier, "Kursiv" reported that a court in Shymkent sentenced a blogger for extorting 10 million tenge from an akimat employee. In Karaganda, 10 members of an organized criminal group that terrorized locals and extorted money from miners were convicted. In Uralsk, a fraudster who blackmailed the head of a rural district received three years in prison.
Currently, investigative measures are ongoing. Police have refrained from disclosing additional details but have not ruled out the involvement of other individuals. The lawyer status of one suspect draws particular attention, as the involvement of legal professionals in such crimes causes significant public resonance. Law enforcement agencies are working to establish the full extent of the extortion scheme.