$9 million loan fraud: Fugitive deported from Russia to Uzbekistan

A Uzbek businessman, wanted for embezzling nearly $9 million in bank loans, has been deported from Russia and taken into custody upon arrival in Uzbekistan, according to Interpol’s National Central Bureau in Tashkent.

The suspect, who previously headed a commercial firm, had obtained the loan for cotton production but later earned around $20 million from selling the goods without repaying the debt. He then fled the country, prompting Uzbek authorities to issue a search warrant.

Following intelligence that the fugitive had traveled to Russia, Interpol officers in Moscow and Tashkent coordinated efforts to locate him. He was arrested upon landing at Vnukovo Airport and deported to Uzbekistan the same day, where he was immediately detained by local law enforcement.

Earlier, Uzbek authorities successfully extradited a fugitive from Azerbaijan, who was wanted for criminal prosecution. The suspect was handed over under special convoy supervision by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Justice Penitentiary Service.