Employees combating organized crime have identified and stopped over 20 such incidents.
"Workers of a railway company reported to the transport police's organized crime unit about extortion and systematic blackmail. The perpetrator, who presented himself as a 'blogger', documented various violations by conductors and then blackmailed them to extort money. The total damage inflicted on the victims exceeded 48 million tenge. He has been sentenced to a long prison term for 60 episodes of extortion," said Kuanvyk Alpyss, a representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Department for Combating Organized Crime.
In the Zhetysu region, operatives from the organized crime unit caught a 'blogger' red-handed while demanding 10 million tenge from a construction entrepreneur. He threatened to publish violations during the construction of a residential building.
"The organized crime unit of the Almaty Department has detained and placed 'bloggers' in the temporary detention facility who are suspected of extorting 10 million tenge from a convict. Earlier, another 'blogger' was arrested in the same city for extorting 27 million tenge from a representative of a supermarket chain. This case is currently under judicial review." Kuanvyk Alpyss
Similar cases have been identified in the Atyrau, Kyzylorda, and North Kazakhstan regions. All suspects have been caught red-handed and are facing criminal charges.
"In the Turkestan region, 'bloggers' extorted large sums of money from school leaders through blackmail, threatening to publish compromising information. The court has sentenced them to imprisonment for up to 3.5 years." Kuanvyk Alpyss
The Ministry of Internal Affairs warns that extortion is punishable by law with a prison term of up to 15 years, along with property confiscation.
On January 23, 2025, it was reported that bloggers were detained in Almaty for extortion.