The Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA) has shut down the activities of a criminal group involved in the illegal export of petrol to the Kyrgyz Republic for resale.
According to the agency's press service, the suspects purchased petrol in the Republic of Kazakhstan under the guise of solvent and distillates, then illegally exported it abroad using forged documents.
During operational search activities, law enforcement officers detained 8 railway tankers containing AI-92 grade petrol, shipped from the Kara Mai Oil mini-refinery, at Turksib station.
The total volume of fuel destined for Kyrgyzstan amounted to approximately 500 tonnes. In total, from 2023 to 2024, this mini-refinery exported over 102,000 tonnes of fuels and lubricants to the neighbouring country. According to preliminary data, the criminal group's turnover over the last two years exceeded 15.5 billion tenge.
Additionally, the following individuals have been placed on an international wanted list in connection with this case:
- Alexey Alexandrovich Popov, born 27 April 1987, citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan, native of the city of Taraz, Zhambyl Region;
- Rakhymzhan Mamatuly Ibraimov, born 29 January 1996, citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan, native of the city of Chartak, Republic of Uzbekistan;
- Serik Erlanovich Sagyndykov, born 29 July 1987, citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan, native of Zhambyl Region.
It is worth recalling that in January we reported that the monthly volume of illegal exports of fuels and lubricants from Kazakhstan to neighbouring countries had reached 45,000 tonnes.
At the time, it was noted that the Ministry of Energy sees the solution in market liberalisation and abandoning state regulation of fuel prices. The FBRK editorial team investigated why this measure could be an effective tool in combating smuggling.