Facial Recognition Cameras in Bishkek Nab Wanted Financial Pyramid Suspect

The outdoor video surveillance cameras equipped with facial recognition technology in Bishkek played a pivotal role in identifying an individual wanted in a CIS country, as reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan.

The identified person, a citizen of Kazakhstan named O.A., had been placed on the wanted list by the Medeu District Police Department of Almaty for the alleged creation and management of a financial pyramid, according to Kyrgyzstan’s police. The suspect’s apprehension was executed through the advanced video surveillance system.

The history of the case traces back to April 2021 in Kazakhstan, where affected investors lodged a collective complaint against three companies accused of operating a financial pyramid. These companies, presenting themselves as successful entities in ultra-profitable investments, unlawfully amassed funds amounting to several billion tenge. Notably, bloggers were implicated in promoting these activities to attract more investments. Two individuals associated with the financial pyramid were sentenced to five years in prison.

The wanted citizen O.A., originally from Almaty, managed to evade capture when leaders of the fraudulent scheme were being detained. However, the recent identification and subsequent arrest in Bishkek have led to O.A. being taken into custody, as law enforcement authorities work towards addressing the charges against him.