Units for combating organised crime and the prosecutor's offices of Astana and the North Kazakhstan Region have shut down the activities of two criminal groups involved in human trafficking.
According to Polisia.kz, the criminals used online resources to advertise illegal services related to sexual exploitation. It is reported that the group's daily income amounted to up to 1.5 million tenge, and the total cash turnover since the beginning of last year exceeded 1.7 billion tenge.
During searches, law enforcement officers seized cash, bank cards, cars, mobile phones, computers and other data storage devices.
The main suspects and their accomplices have been arrested. The cases are being investigated under articles on human trafficking and participation in an organised criminal group. Those involved face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.
It is worth recalling that in March, over three days, Ministry of Internal Affairs officers identified 40 crimes related to human trafficking, involvement in prostitution (including of minors), running brothels and pimping.
At the same time, police registered 156 administrative offences for providing premises for pimping and 640 for soliciting in public places.