Fighting organized criminality

Astana, 18 November 2008, (Khabar) - 38 criminal cases for racketeering were brought before the courts in 2008. At a Home office briefing, journalists were told that Kazakhstan's police were able to bring to trial 4 members of a criminal brotherhood similar to the cosa nostra, who came from Georgia to restore the criminal code.

It was also reported that the leader of the organisation called "Four
brothers", Aishuak Kurmangali and Rafael Bikhbayev who was engaged in
blackmail and shootings in Shymkent were brought to trial. One of Rafael
Bikhbayev's partners in crime, Kanat Myrzabayev was sentanced to 12 years.
Also, police were able to arrest active members of criminal organizations in
South Kazakhstan in the shape of Dzhumageldiyev and Umbetov and to stop the
activities of the leader of one of the largest criminal groups of Northern
Kazakhstan, Marat Mukashev. Also, the neutralization of a group in the
Pavlodar region which was engaged in blackmail and robbery was reported and
its leader, Anvar Rsayev whose nickname is "Kalmyk" received 9 years. In
total this, year 38 criminal cases for racketeering were brought before the
courts and three contract murders were solved.

Armanbek Baimurzin, head of Police Criminal Committee, RK Ministry for Home
Affairs:
- In total, we were able to confiscate 5 submachine guns, 57 guns, 9
high-explosive shells, 2 grenade launchers, 7 explosive devices, 45 rifles
and over 10 kilogrammes of strong drugs. 5 leaders and 18 members of
criminal gangs along with one "Russian cosa nostra" member were arrested.