Two officials from Uzbekistan's Migration Agency arrested

A chief specialist at the Namangan regional branch of the Migration Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers has been detained on bribery charges, the State Security Service reported.

According to the statement, the official exploited his position to deceive a group of citizens, gaining their trust, and accepted $41,000 in exchange for sending them to work in South Korea. The arrest was made with material evidence confirming the offense.

During the pre-investigation check, it was established that the official carried out the illegal activity in collusion with a chief specialist from the central office of the Migration Agency. During a follow-up operation, the central office official was also caught red-handed while receiving $15,000 of the aforementioned sum.

It was also revealed that in 2024, the suspects collected over $700,000 from more than 80 citizens under the pretense of sending them to South Korea, but failed to fulfill their promises, leaving the victims stranded.

In connection with the case, the State Security Service’s Investigation Department has opened a criminal case under Article 168 (Fraud) and Articles 28 and 211 (Bribery) of the Criminal Code. Measures are being taken to identify the remaining members of this criminal group and bring them to investigation.

Citizens can report any suspicious offers related to overseas employment to the State Security Service via the 1520 hotline.

It is worth noting that earlier, a responsible officer of the Public Reception Office in the Fergana region was caught taking a 5 million soum bribe.