Chinese Nationals and Local Residents Convicted in 766 Million Tenge Illegal Gold Mining Case
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A group of East Kazakhstan residents and Chinese nationals has been convicted of illegally mining gold in the Ulan District. Prosecutors say the group extracted 15 kilograms of gold over two years and caused 766 million tenge in damage to the state, Orda.kz reports.
The illegal mining took place in 2024 and 2025 in the valleys of the Bolshaya Shybynda and Malaya Shybynda rivers. The group mined gold without a permit and damaged state forest land.
In June 2025, prosecutors carried out an operation with the National Security Committee, police and the Financial Monitoring Agency. Chinese nationals were detained at the site, while heavy machinery, mining equipment, gold-bearing material and cash were seized.
Investigators established that both local residents and Chinese nationals had participated in the illegal operation. The case was sent to court after the investigation was completed.
The total damage caused to the state amounted to 766 million tenge. On July 21, 2026, the Specialized Interdistrict Criminal Court of Ust-Kamenogorsk found the defendants guilty of illegally extracting precious metals on an especially large scale and sentenced them to various prison terms,the East Kazakhstan Region Prosecutor’s Office said.
Officials did not disclose the number of people convicted or the sentences imposed on each defendant. The ruling has not yet taken effect.
Original author: Saule Abdykamit
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