Criminal group attempted to seize apartment through threats in Fergana

A criminal group has been detained in the city of Fergana, Fergana region, for attempting to seize another person’s apartment through threats without making payment. This was reported by the regional Department of Internal Affairs.

According to the report, a citizen born in 1978 agreed to purchase a two-room apartment from the victim for $35,000 in March 2024, promising to pay within a month. However, after the transaction, he failed to fulfill the payment and instead decided to resolve the matter with the help of accomplices.

The individual, along with three accomplices, devised a criminal plan. Their goal was to intimidate the victim into giving up the claim to the unpaid money. According to the plan, each accomplice was promised \$5,000 for their role. In essence, they intended to spend $15,000 to cancel the $35,000 debt and come out with the apartment at a profit.

A criminal case has been initiated under Article 166 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan (robbery). Based on operational intelligence, all suspects were identified and detained during joint operations in Fergana city. Preliminary investigations are currently ongoing.

It is worth noting that earlier, members of another criminal group were caught after stealing nearly 1 billion soums by using malicious software to obtain citizens’ bank card information.