Since the start of 2026, Kazakh police officers have seized more than 2,000 units of weapons from illegal circulation, including criminal weapons and samples stolen during the January events. In just four days of the operational and preventive operation "Law and Order", law enforcement officers discovered over 170 units of firearms and more than 800 rounds of ammunition.
HOW MANY WEAPONS WERE SEIZED
According to Polisia.kz, since the start of the year, more than 2,000 units of various weapons have been seized from illegal circulation. Among them are 184 units of criminal weapons and 160 units stolen during the January events.
The latest phase of the work took place as part of the republican operational and preventive operation "Law and Order", which was conducted from 20 to 23 October 2026. Over four days, police officers seized more than 170 units of firearms and over 800 rounds of ammunition of various calibres.
WHERE THE STOLEN WEAPONS WERE FOUND
In Almaty, Shymkent and the Zhetysu region, police officers discovered and seized four units of weapons stolen from gun shops during the January events.
Thus, the work to identify illegally stored weapons continues even after their discovery during previous checks.
HOW ILLEGAL EXTRACTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES IS COMBATED
A separate area of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' work remains countering poaching. In the first nine months of 2026, police officers sent 119 criminal cases related to violations of environmental legislation to court.
During this period, more than 23 tonnes of fish were seized from illegal circulation, including about 1.5 tonnes of sturgeon species, almost 11 kg of caviar, 361 saiga horn, about 29 km of prohibited fishing nets and 345 units of hunting weapons. 13,200 people were brought to administrative liability.
WHAT CASES WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE NKR
In one of the villages of the Akkayin district of the North Kazakhstan Region (NKR), police officers stopped a "Gazelle" vehicle transporting about a tonne of fish without accompanying documents. The body also contained two boats and boat motors. Law enforcement officers are establishing the origin of the fish and the legality of its catching.
In the Akkayin district, together with a game warden, a case of illegal hunting was identified. During an inspection of the vehicle, two carcasses of Siberian roe deer and two units of hunting weapons were found. A pre-trial investigation has been launched into this case.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs notes that law enforcement officers check not only possible participants in illegal extraction, but also those engaged in the transportation, storage and sale of illegally obtained natural resources.
The department added that citizens who voluntarily surrender illegally stored weapons are exempt from liability.
