Kazakhstan: Authorities Awaiting Interpol Action in Case Linked to Akzharkyn Turlybay — Deputy Prosecutor General

Deputy Prosecutor General Galymzhan Koigeldiyev commented on the ongoing case of Akzharkyn Turlybay, a Kazakhstan citizen serving a life sentence in China, Orda.kz reports.

Journalists reminded Koigeldiyev that Kazakhstan had previously sought the extradition of Nigerian national Adindu Nonso Fortuna, who was implicated in the same drug smuggling case, and asked about the current status of the process.

Koigeldiyev confirmed that the issue remains under close supervision by Kazakhstan’s law enforcement authorities:

We will not let this case, and all the cases we have handled in previous years, get out of our control and will pursue his extradition to the end.

There's a simple procedure here: Interpol locates the wanted person, after which the extradition process kicks in. Right now, we're just waiting for his location to be established. Once it's established, we'll immediately begin the extradition process,
 Koigeldiyev said.

According to the deputy prosecutor general, the Prosecutor General’s Office intends to see the case through and ensure that all possible legal mechanisms are applied within the framework of international cooperation agreements.

Turlybay’s case has drawn public attention for nearly a decade. In spring 2014, the then–student of the ZhenPi Institute was detained at Guangzhou Airport, where Chinese authorities found over four kilograms of synthetic drugs in her luggage — a crime punishable by life imprisonment or death under Chinese law.

Akzharkyn Turlybay has maintained her innocence, saying she was unaware of the contents of the luggage.

She told investigators that she had agreed to transport designer goods between countries for a payment of $1,000 per trip and did not know she was being used as a drug courier.

Original Author: Artyom Volkov