Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and National Security Committee (KNB), coordinated by the General Prosecutor’s Office, have shut down the operations of five companies involved in illegal mining and processing of gold-bearing materials in the Abai, Zhetysu, East Kazakhstan, and Turkestan regions, according to inbusiness.kz citing Polisia.kz.
Authorities found that the companies held licenses only for geological exploration but were in fact conducting large-scale illegal extraction of gold-bearing ore using specialized equipment and machinery. During the raids, over 6,700 tons of gold-bearing ore, 300 tons of ore slurry, 120 tons of ammonium nitrate, explosives, and detonators were seized. In addition, 45 pieces of specialized equipment were confiscated on-site.
A total of 62 individuals, including directors and founders of several limited liability partnerships (LLPs), were detained. Five criminal cases have been registered related to the illegal circulation of precious metals and raw materials containing precious metals. The damage to the state has been assessed as particularly large.
Kuanlyk Alpis, a representative of the MIA’s Department for Combating Organized Crime, emphasized the importance of the operation in protecting the country’s natural resources and fighting organized crime in the precious metals sector.
