A Major Loan Shark and Owner of a Pawn Shop Chain Detained

In Bishkek, law enforcement agencies have detained a well-known loan shark who is also the owner of a chain of pawn shops. The relevant information was provided by the press service of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic (SCNS KR).

It has been reported that the detainee, identified as S.M.A., was engaged in illegal activities in the field of pawn shops and usury, aiming to profit from citizens who found themselves in difficult financial situations.

According to SCNS data, S.M.A. used the debts of his clients to organize illegal seizures of their movable and immovable property, including residential houses, land plots, and commercial properties. He formalized the transfer of ownership through fictitious transactions involving bribed notaries and other affiliated persons.

During the investigation of the criminal case, his trusted persons were identified, on whom numerous properties acquired through criminal means were registered.

Facts indicating the organized nature of his activities were also discovered, including intimidation and psychological pressure on victims, as well as the use of connections in law enforcement and government agencies to prevent citizens from seeking protection of their rights.

S.M.A. was detained, and on January 14, a measure of restraint in the form of detention in the SCNS KR pre-trial detention center was chosen for him.

The investigation is currently ongoing, during which other individuals involved in this case are being identified.