A criminal group was apprehended in Tashkent for purchasing counterfeit driver's licenses 

In Tashkent, authorities uncovered a criminal network engaged in the illicit trade of counterfeit driver's licenses, as reported by the DIA of Jizzakh region.

During mid-2022, two young men from Bukhara, temporarily residing in Tashkent and employed at an IT firm, devised a scheme to peddle fake driver's licenses. They utilized social media platforms and groups to advertise the sale of licenses at specified rates.

The fraudsters differentiated prices for various license categories, charging 3.5 million soums for categories A, B, C, 4 million soums for D, E, and 5.5 million soums for both D and E.

Posing as employees of the DIA, they purchased a bank plastic card from a stranger to conceal their illegal activities. Prospective license seekers who sought an easy route without study paid for these cards.

To persuade potential customers, the perpetrators sent photos of bogus IDs and circulated videos on social media depicting individuals purportedly obtaining legitimately. They even solicited videos from a Russian resident illustrating the process of acquiring a driver's license for a fee, disseminating them as advertisements.

Reportedly, the alleged fraudsters never met their clients and concealed their identities even during online interactions.

Despite the monetary losses suffered by trusting citizens, none filed complaints. Upon noticing such solicitations on social media, the DIA officials took action to unveil the organized criminal group, initially apprehending an individual in the Karvon neighborhood of Angren, Tashkent region, and seizing a laptop, mobile devices, a bank card, and 10,800,000 soums.

Following swift investigations, all members of the criminal syndicate were apprehended, including the two Bukhara natives overseeing operations, a programmer responsible for creating fake license photos, and six individuals managing social network groups.