21-year-old man in Fergana blackmails victim using fabricated explicit images

A previously convicted individual born in 2005, residing in the Buloqboshi mahalla of Beshariq district in the Fergana region, has been detained on suspicion of extortion, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported.

According to the report, in April 2026 the suspect purchased a SIM card and created an account on Telegram. The SIM card had previously been registered to another person, and an old account remained accessible. Using personal and family photos stored on the account, the suspect artificially altered them into explicit images and sent them to the victim’s relatives. He then threatened to distribute the images through Telegram channels and demanded money in exchange for not sharing them.

It was reported that the suspect extorted more than 800,000 soums from the victim through various bank cards. During a law enforcement operation, the suspect was detained in the city of Andijan.

“I created these images myself. I threatened to distribute explicit photos. Those who intend to do such things should abandon this path. It will not end well. Even if you think you can deceive people and escape, you will eventually be found,” the suspect said.

A criminal case has been initiated under Article 165, Part 2, Clause “a” (extortion) of the Criminal Code by the investigative division under the Namangan City Department of Internal Affairs. The suspect has been placed in pre-trial detention, and preliminary investigation is ongoing.

Earlier, it was reported that in Tashkent’s Chilanzar district, a group posing as women and demanding money from men of various ages had been identified.

Shahzoda Shukurullayeva