ASTANA, Kazakhstan, January 8. Kazakhstan has spilled the beans on the tally of financial pyramids, underground casinos, and bookmakers taken down in 2024, Trend reports.
Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with the head of the Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA) of Kazakhstan, Zhanat Elimanov. During the meeting, President Tokayev was briefed on the key outcomes of the agency's work in 2024 and its tasks for the upcoming period.
The head of the FMA reported to Tokayev that the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan for Combating the Shadow Economy for 2023-2025 had reduced its level by 1.3 percent.
In particular, as a result of the agency's activities, 1,312 criminal cases were closed, damages amounting to 236.8 billion tenge ($449.92 million) were reimbursed, and criminal proceeds of 152.3 billion tenge ($289.37 million) were confiscated.
Twenty pre-trial investigations were initiated against organized criminal groups, and one involving a transnational group. Forty-two financial pyramids were dismantled, around 15,000 websites and accounts promoting fraudulent schemes were blocked, and 327 messenger chats were closed, preventing financial losses for more than 2 million citizens.
Additionally, the activities of 41 online gambling platforms in social networks were exposed, along with 30 gaming halls, underground casinos, and bookmakers. Access to 11,700 online casino websites was blocked. Unjustified budget expenditures of 120 billion tenge ($228 million) were prevented, and attempts to launder criminal proceeds through 36 illegal crypto exchanges were halted.
The President was also informed that following a special operation involving Kazakhstan's, Belarus's, and Russia's financial intelligence, three large-scale "drug shops" were shut down, and 35 drug dealers were arrested. The activities of 1,787 legal entities conducting fictitious financial transactions were disrupted, and 1,200 attempts to transfer funds to terrorist and extremist organizations were identified and blocked.
Following the meeting, Tokayev issued several instructions on key areas of the agency's activities.
To note, the Financial Monitoring Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan is a state body directly subordinated to and accountable to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is responsible for leading efforts to combat the legalization (laundering) of criminal proceeds and financing terrorism, as well as preventing, detecting, suppressing, uncovering, and investigating economic and financial offenses under the jurisdiction of this agency according to the legislation of Kazakhstan.