In Tashkent, an individual has been arrested for allegedly promising to arrange a "business visa" for travel to the United States and receiving $75,000 in return. According to the Department for Combating Economic Crimes under the Prosecutor General's Office, during an operational measure conducted jointly by the Sergeli district department and other law enforcement agencies, the suspect, identified as Sh.A., was caught with material evidence while taking money from citizen M.O., whom he purportedly promised to help obtain a visa through acquaintances in high positions.

In a separate case, during an operational measure conducted by the department in the Khatirchi district of Navoi region, the head of "T.L." LLC, F.Sh., was arrested for allegedly promising citizen J.B. employment in Bulgaria and fraudulently obtaining $3,000. Law enforcement officials detained the suspect at the moment the crime was being committed.

Criminal cases have been initiated under Article 168 (Fraud) and Articles 28, 211 (Bribery) of the Criminal Code regarding these incidents. Investigative actions are ongoing, and authorities are checking for other potential victims.

Previously, in Namangan, employees of consulting firms were arrested for promising citizens employment in South Korea and Latvia in exchange for money. One of them demanded $10,000 and received $1,500, while another was caught receiving $2,000. These cases highlight the prevalence of fraud schemes related to overseas employment and visa processing in the region.

It is worth noting that the Migration Agency of Uzbekistan recently signed an agreement with the US-based USA Farm Labor organization. According to the document, Uzbek citizens are expected to work on farms in the United States with an average monthly salary of $3,500. However, questions remain about the implementation of this agreement and the actual opportunities for citizens, given the increasing number of fraudulent schemes in this sector.

Source: www.gazeta.uz