A group suspected of systematically extorting money from drivers was stopped on 23 September in the Zhambyl Region. Law enforcement officers conducted 27 searches, during which they seized bladed weapons, communication devices, a large sum of money and vehicles.
WHAT HAPPENED
According to the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), police officers of the Zhambyl Region, together with the Department of the National Security Committee (DNSC), stopped the activities of a group suspected of systematically extorting money from drivers of transport travelling through a border checkpoint in the region.
This concerns drivers of heavy goods, passenger, light and transit motor transport.
WHAT WAS SEIZED DURING THE SEARCHES
Law enforcement officers conducted 27 search operations. During them, they seized bladed weapons, communication devices, a large sum of money and vehicles.
WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION
The investigation is being conducted into the fact of extortion committed by a group of persons. Law enforcement officers are currently establishing all the circumstances of what happened, the role of each of the participants and possible additional episodes.
CONTEXT
Earlier, FBRE reported cases where cement tanker drivers bypassed weight control points in the Zhetisu Region. In the Kerbulak District, trucks were caught on video driving past automated measurement stations (AMS). Among them were vehicles with the logo of JSC "NC "KazAvtoZhol". The company stated that the violations had been eliminated, but later a new video recording appeared showing another bypass.
On the night of 28 August, unknown persons set fire to an AMS station on the Astana - Karaganda highway. The police department of the "Saryshyk" District of the Astana Police Department reported that the CCTV camera on that section of the highway was not working.
In January 2026, FBRE studied the operation of AMS in detail. An analysis of documents, official responses from state bodies and statistics showed that after the launch of automatic issuance of orders through the Unified Register of Administrative Proceedings (URAP), prosecutor's offices began reviewing some administrative proceedings related to the operation of certain AMS.