Uzbek individual suspected of human trafficking was apprehended in Istanbul

On May 6th of this year, through a collaborative effort between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan and Turkey, Ozod Sa’dullayevich Rahimov, born in 1979 in the Samarkand region, accused of both fraud and human trafficking, was detained in the Fatih district of Istanbul. This information was relayed by the Uzbekistan General Consulate in Istanbul.

Ozod Rahimov, notably, illicitly misappropriated a significant sum of citizens' funds in the Samarkand region. Moreover, during his time in Istanbul, he purportedly assured several Uzbekistan and Tajikistan citizens of facilitating their travel to the United States via the Turkey-Spain-Nicaragua-Mexico route between 2022 and 2023. Allegedly, he solicited 10-15 thousand US dollars from each individual, failing to fulfill his promise and instead diverting the funds for personal gain.

"Compatriots affected by the criminal actions of this person are asked to report to the Consulate General or the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan," the message reads.

It is underscored that the legal pursuit will persist diligently, and strict criminal accountability will be upheld for any individual evading justice in foreign territories, Turkey included.

There's a notable surge in reports to the Consulate General concerning fraudulent activities related to visa issuance for travel to the USA, Canada, or European countries. Consequently, citizens are cautioned against falling victim to fraudsters.

Recall that earlier, a 21-year-old Uzbek citizen, wanted internationally, was apprehended on suspicion of human trafficking in Kirov, Russia.