The illegal activities of S.M.A., the owner of a pawnshop network and major loan shark, were stopped in Bishkek. The press center of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) reported.
According to the SCNS, S.M.A., motivated by personal gain, carried out unlawful pawnshop and usurious activities in the capital, extracting illegal profits from citizens in difficult financial situations.
Loans were issued under deliberately exploitative conditions with excessively high interest rates, effectively placing victims in a dependent position and preventing them from fulfilling their obligations on time.
The investigation revealed a circle of trusted associates of S.M.A. who were registered as owners of a significant number of movable and immovable properties acquired illegally.
Evidence also indicates that the illegal activities were organized in nature, involving pressure, intimidation, and psychological influence on victims, as well as the use of potential connections in law enforcement and other state bodies to hinder citizens from seeking legal protection of their rights and interests.
Given the irrefutable evidence in the criminal case, citizen of Kyrgyzstan S.M.A. was detained and, on January 14, placed in SCNS pre-trial detention by court order.
