FBRK.KZ

Kazakhstan demonstrates a higher level of social support compared to Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The article provides a comparison of pensions, maternity benefits, childbirth payments and other social measures. The data show that the amounts of payments in Kazakhstan significantly exceed those in neighbouring countries, while approaches to social assistance in the region remain similar.

Court No. 2 of Kostanay has sentenced 30 defendants in a case involving the embezzlement of state subsidies worth over 2.5 billion tenge. The court established that between 2021 and 2023, a scheme operated using forged documents and fictitious livestock. The defendants were found guilty under several articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, including fraud and money laundering. The main defendants received prison sentences ranging from 5 to 14 years, while some were given suspended sentences. Seized funds have been confiscated to the state revenue.

In Ust-Kamenogorsk, medical waste and documents containing personal data were discovered at a solid household waste site. According to the East Kazakhstan branch of the National Centre for Expertise, the rubbish was taken out by staff after a community clean-up day in violation of disposal regulations. Following the identification of the breach, the waste was removed, an internal investigation was carried out, and one employee was dismissed.

In Turkestan Region, the court has heard a criminal case concerning the abuse of official authority and theft of mining equipment. Two police officers have been found guilty and sentenced to three years‘ imprisonment with loss of rank. In a separate incident of theft, two defendants received custodial and suspended sentences. The court deemed part of the charges unsubstantiated. The verdict has not yet entered into legal force.

In Astana, a naked man carrying an object resembling a knife was behaving aggressively on a children's playground in the courtyard of a residential building. He was detained by police officers, and there were no casualties. The offender was held accountable for petty hooliganism, and the case materials have been sent to court.

In Istanbul’s Fatih district on 31 March 2026, a Kazakh citizen, Arif Ismailov, was shot dead. The attack took place on the street, and the man died at the scene. Turkish law enforcement authorities detained two suspects — citizens of Georgia — while they were attempting to flee towards the border. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan confirmed the information and stated that the Consulate General is providing assistance to the victim’s relatives.

A citizen of Kazakhstan, suspected of illegal business activities as part of a transnational group, has been extradited from Russia. According to the investigation, in 2023 he was involved in the illegal trafficking of unmarked cigarettes, which resulted in the state budget losing over 1 billion tenge in excise duties. After the alleged crime was committed, he fled and was placed on an international wanted list. In April 2025, he was detained in Russia and handed over to Kazakhstan. He is currently in a pre-trial detention centre.

In Aksu, Ministry of Internal Affairs officers discovered and seized approximately 300 kg of plant-derived substances found in a garage cooperative. The substances have been sent for analysis, and the police are identifying supply channels and those involved.

A confiscated Lexus LX600 off-road vehicle, worth approximately 79 million tenge, linked to the Perizat Kairat case, has been transferred to the balance of the Agency for Financial Monitoring, which conducted the investigation. The decision was formalised following the auction; other assets in the case have not yet been distributed.

In the village of Zhanasaz, Zhambyl Region, heavy rains have caused flooding on streets and in yards. The local administration confirmed that the water level reached 10–15 cm and affected three houses, after which the situation was stabilised. The event comes amid other flood incidents in Kazakhstan, including a dam breach in the Akmola Region, where the area had previously been marked as high risk on analysts’ maps.