Turkish Citizen Extradited from Baku to Kazakhstan for Alleged Involvement in Transnational Crime

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a Turkish national has been extradited from Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan by authorities from the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The individual in question is suspected of participating in a transnational organized crime group involved in smuggling over 24 kilograms of gold from Kazakhstan between July and August 2020. The illicit activities reportedly caused damages exceeding 633 million tenge to the state.

Following the commission of the crime, the suspects evaded investigation and were placed on the international wanted list. However, in July 2023, the Turkish citizen was apprehended within Azerbaijan’s borders. Currently, he is being held in a pre-trial detention center in Astana.

The prescribed punishment for the alleged offense entails imprisonment for a period ranging from eight to twelve years, along with the confiscation of property.

Notably, in June 2022, the Astana city court convicted 14 individuals associated with this transnational organized group, resulting in the recovery of approximately 5 billion tenge in favor of the state.