Bishkek: In a significant development, the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) has detained the former head of the Cadastre state institution on charges of fraud.

According to 24.kg News Agency, the arrest followed an investigation into fraudulent activities involving land sales.

The investigation revealed that in March 2023, the former head, in collusion with officials from the Alamedin district state administration, proposed the sale of a 3-hectare land parcel in Orto-Sai village to a citizen for $1.2 million. This land, belonging to the state, was offered under fraudulent terms. The SCNS’s operation culminated on November 20, when the former head was apprehended in a Bishkek café while returning $10,000 from an earlier payment of $150,000. The SCNS confirmed that the suspect is currently held in their temporary detention center and an investigation is ongoing.