(29 January 2026 | Source: press service of the Zhetysu regional prosecutor's office)
The Specialised Inter-District Criminal Court of Astana has heard a criminal case concerning the establishment of an organised group involved in the illegal issuance of work visas to Turkish citizens. Seven defendants have been found guilty of charges relating to the creation of an organised criminal group and the facilitation of illegal migration.
HOW THE GROUP OPERATED
The court established that in 2020–2023, a female citizen identified as B. formed a criminal group and brought in acquaintances, including citizens of Turkey and Kazakhstan, as well as a serving officer of the Almaty migration service.
According to case materials, the participants issued C-3 work visas to Turkish citizens using forged documents and digital signature (EDS) keys without the knowledge of the foreign nationals themselves. Dozens of LLPs (Limited Liability Partnerships) were also registered with shares held by foreign citizens, documents were drawn up, and financial transactions were conducted in order to obtain visas illegally.
EVIDENCE IN COURT
According to the court's ruling, the defendants' guilt was confirmed by witness testimony, WhatsApp correspondence, results of SORM (System of Operational-Search Measures), expert opinions, call detail records, bank statements, search reports, and physical evidence.
The prosecutor requested 9 years' imprisonment each with confiscation of property for the organiser and the migration service officer, and 6 years each for the others.
The defence insisted on acquittal, arguing that there was no corpus delicti.
SENTENCING BY THE COURT
The court found the defendants guilty under articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (CC RK):
- Group organiser – 10 years imprisonment with confiscation of property;
- Almaty migration service officer – 9 years imprisonment;
- Turkish and Kazakh citizens – 7 years imprisonment each;
- One other defendant was found guilty but was exempted from the principal sentence under the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated 23 June 2025, ‘On Amnesty in Connection with the 30th Anniversary of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan’.
STATUS OF THE RULING
The verdict has not entered into legal force and may be appealed.