Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan – The mayor of Toktogul has been detained on charges of organizing a raider seizure of a quartz deposit and its illegal exploitation, alongside connections to an organized crime group. The State Committee for National Security (SCNS) of Kyrgyzstan’s press center has reported on the incident.

According to 24.kg News Agency, investigations revealed the mayor’s involvement in orchestrating the raider seizure of the quartz deposit in the Toktogul district. He allegedly collaborated with members of an organized crime group to achieve this.

The SCNS detailed that in 2022, while serving as the head of the rural administration, the mayor approached the deposit owner to propose a joint venture in mining and selling quartz. After being refused, he allegedly enlisted the help of individuals, including one I.B.A., who claimed to be an “enforcer” in Toktogul linked to the crime group of Chyngyz Dzhumagulov, known as Doo Chyngyz. The group is said to have used physical force and threats against family members to coerce the entrepreneur into transferring 50 percent of the business shares to the mayor’s son.

The illegal mining and sale of quartz at the field led to the mayor and the “enforcer” accruing profits. Additionally, the SCNS highlighted that the mining activities were conducted with serious environmental and technical violations, resulting in state losses exceeding 74 million soms.

Following these revelations, the mayor of Toktogul, his son, and the organized crime group member I.B.A. were detained and placed in a temporary detention facility. An investigation into the matter is currently underway.