Prosecutor’s Office detains fraudsters exploiting Uzbeks abroad

Criminal proceedings have been instituted against fraudsters who promised to employ 14 Uzbeks in the European countries. They assured them that they would be employed in Ukraine for $500 a month in construction work, then they would be transferred to Europe, the PGO press service told Kun.uz.

Reportedly, citizens M.A. and S.S. conspired in advance and gained the trust of a group of Uzbeks. They promised to send people to European countries that pay $2,000-3,000 a month and issue work visas. Thus, they fraudulently obtained $5,500 from them.

In addition, in November 2019, S.S. and others persuaded 14 citizens to work in the construction sphere in Kyiv, Ukraine, for a salary of $500 a month. Then the fraudsters promised to transfer them to work in European countries. However, abusing their trust, their passports were collected at a construction firm in Kyiv and they were exploited under harsh working conditions for 75 days. They were also not paid their $17,500 salary.

Later, the citizens were taken to Gomel, Belarus, and Moscow, Russia, where they were repeatedly deceived about the issuance of European visas. As a result, they lost their jobs in these countries and faced various difficulties.

“On the aforementioned facts, citizens M.A., S.S. and others are being investigated under Article 168-2 and Article 135-2 of the Criminal Code,” the Prosecutor General’s Office said in a statement.