The Chairman of the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan, Kamchybek Tashiev, made an intriguing confession on social media, reports Tengrinews.kz correspondent.
Specifically, he explained the decision to eliminate the notorious crime boss Kamchi Kolbaev in 2023. The video recording was posted on Facebook, on the page of one of his supporters, Otkurbek Rakhmanov.
According to Tashiev, this decision was made "for the good of the state."
"Organized crime groups in Kyrgyzstan operated as a parallel state, having their own hierarchy and network of influence across the country. The level of crime was such that a thief in law, overseeing the entire republic, seized power. They had a system similar to that of the state. They had a president — a thief in law. Others, in regions, districts, cities — overseers and affiliates collected money from entrepreneurs and others. They had such a powerful structure," Tashiev said.
The head of the State Committee deemed the elimination a necessary measure.
"I will tell you more about the fact that I had to make the decision to eliminate thieves in law. Do you understand? And we eliminated members, accomplices for the sake of the state. Today the country has been liberated. Today there is no organized crime," the speaker noted.
Now, according to him, Kyrgyzstan has become the only republic in Central Asia and among the post-Soviet states where organized crime no longer exists.
"We took billions of dollars from them. They have nothing left and will have nothing. They are no longer businessman-bandits; they will now become pickpockets on the streets or spend the rest of their lives in prison," Tashiev concluded.
It is worth noting that Kamchi was killed on October 4, 2023. Kamchi Kolbaev was considered the most infamous crime boss in Kyrgyzstan. In June 2011, he was officially recognized in the United States as one of the key figures in international drug trafficking and was listed in the notorious "Brotherhood Circle." Read more details about him here.