Over 150 Billion Tenge in Criminal Proceeds Confiscated in Kazakhstan

President Qasym-Jomart Toqayev received Zhanat Yelimanov, Chair of the Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA), and listened to his report on the agency's work for 2024, Orda.kz reports.

The FMA Chair told the Head of State that Kazakhstan's shadow economy had reduced by 1.3% over the past year.

The FMA concluded investigations into 1,312 criminal cases, recovering 236.8 billion tenge in damages and confiscating an additional 152.3 billion tenge in illegal proceeds in favor of the state.

Additionally, over the past year, 42 financial pyramids were dismantled, 20 pre-trial investigations were initiated against organized crime groups, and one targeted an international criminal group.

Around 15,000 websites and accounts promoting scams were blocked, and 327 chats in messengers were closed, safeguarding over two million Kazakhstanis.

Authorities also blocked access to 11,700 online casino websites and 41 online gambling platforms on social media while shutting down 30 illegal gambling operations.

The FMA successfully prevented unjustified spending of 120 billion tenge from the budget and halted the legalization of criminal proceeds through 36 illegal crypto exchanges.

Zhanat Yelimanov reported that as a result of a special operation involving financial intelligence services of Kazakhstan, Belarus and Russia, three large-scale narcotic facilities were closed and 35 drug dealers were detained. The activities of 1,787 legal entities that carried out fictitious financial transactions and deals were stopped. 1.2 thousand attempts to transfer funds to the accounts of terrorist and extremist organizations were blocked,  the FMA reported. 

Qasym-Jomart Toqayev provided the FMA Head instructions for future work.

Original Author: Nikita Drobny