The Department of the Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA) for the East Kazakhstan region, together with the National Security Committee department, identified a case of unauthorised subsoil use and illegal gold mining at the «Kenkarym» site in Samar District.
According to the agency's press service, the suspects mined the precious metal without a licence for two years, while also illegally altering the course of the Kulynzhon River.
Violations of legislation in the field of subsoil use and environmental protection caused damage to the region's ecology amounting to more than 82 million tenge.
During an inspection of the site, FMA officers seized heavy machinery — an excavator, a dump truck, and a loader — as well as industrial equipment used for mining.
The organiser was placed in custody for a period of 2 months. The investigation is ongoing.
Earlier, it was reported that one of the deputy directors of the branch of «Government for Citizens» NJSC in East Kazakhstan was detained on suspicion of illegal gold mining and unauthorised subsoil use.
The suspect, together with accomplices, organised illegal mining operations in the valley of the Shybyndy River in Ulan District. The damage from the criminal activity was estimated at more than 300 million tenge.