Kazakh National Extradited to UAE Over Alleged Kidnapping, Assault, and Other Serious Charges

Zhanbolat Serikov, a Kazakh citizen accused of organizing a violent attack in Dubai, has been extradited to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Azerbaijan, Orda.kz reports, citing AzerTac.

The charges stem from a high-profile incident that occurred on New Year’s Eve 2024, when Eduard Sabirov — a co-founder of the Finiko financial pyramid — was violently attacked in Dubai.

While the two alleged assailants, Anorbek Tyumibaev and Yesbolat Kenzhegazy, were quickly apprehended in Russia, investigators also identified other suspected participants, including Serikov, as potential organizers of the attack.

Serikov fled the UAE after the incident and was located and detained in Azerbaijan in January. Azerbaijani law enforcement confirmed his arrest, and he was later extradited following a court decision.

According to the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General’s Office, Serikov is wanted by UAE authorities on several serious charges:

Citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan Zhanbolat Serikov, born in 1985, was placed on the international wanted list by the competent authorities of the United Arab Emirates on charges of kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, threats of killing, intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm, and acts of sexual violence.

Orda.kz previously reported that Serikov had ties to Arman Dzhumageldiev, known as “Wild Arman,” a controversial figure convicted in Kazakhstan in early 2025. 

The two men appear together in several photographs, and one theory suggests that the attack on Sabirov may have been ordered by Dzhumageldiev. Sabirov himself is currently residing in the UAE, evading Kazakhstan's law enforcement.

Serikov is also rumored to be related by marriage to Kairat Kelimbetov, a former Deputy Prime Minister and ex-head of Kazakhstan’s National Bank.

Original Author: Igor Ulitin