The organised crime unit detained three fake police officers in Shymkent, who used force against local residents to obtain a large sum of money.
According to polisia.kz, the offenders, posing as police officers, regularly extorted money and also demanded a monthly fee for protection.
It was reported that a fake police officer's ID was seized from one of them. It was also revealed that another suspect had previously been convicted of fraud.
"Such actions discredit the employees of internal affairs bodies, who are conscientiously fulfilling their duty. Therefore, such incidents will be severely suppressed. They have all been detained and placed in a temporary detention facility. A criminal case has been opened on charges of extortion, robbery, and the unlawful assumption of the title of a law enforcement official", the statement reads.
Currently, their involvement in other similar crimes is being investigated. The suspects face up to 10 years in prison.