Illegal issuance of loans secured by collateral is being investigated in Uralsk
In Uralsk, an illegal microfinance operation is under investigation: loans secured by jewellery were issued without a licence through a scheme involving a pawnbroker-style shop. Loans were disguised as commission agreements, and interest was masked as storage fees. The total revenue exceeded 128 million tenge, and part of the suspect's property has been seized.