The Bostandyk district court of Almaty has passed a sentence in a case concerning the theft of firearms and ammunition by police officers. The defendants systematically removed and sold weapons that were due to be destroyed.
According to the Telegram channel «Halyqstan», the accused were senior inspector of the military and special equipment department of the logistics directorate of the Almaty police department Maksat Zhexembayev, forensic expert of the department Manat Shaydikeshov, and driver of the same department Nurbolat Askar.
According to case materials, the police officers removed weapons and ammunition that had been written off and earmarked for disposal. They then altered or erased serial numbers and passed the weapons into illegal circulation. Zhexembayev was the organiser.
During the investigation, more than 40 carbines, pistols and shotguns were seized, along with grenades and over 4,000 rounds of various calibres.
It is noted that one of the seized weapons — a Sauer 404 rifle — was sold to a resident of the Zhambyl region. There is no report of the buyer's arrest.
In the end, the court found the police officers guilty and sentenced Maksat Zhexembayev to 8 years in prison, while Manat Shaydikeshov and Nurbolat Askar each received 7 years in prison.
The court also ordered that all three be stripped of their special ranks and that Zhexembayev and Shaydikeshov be permanently banned from holding positions in state bodies.
Earlier, in Ust-Kamenogorsk, three police officers were convicted of extorting 3 million tenge from a public figure.