According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan, a suspect has been arrested for using virus-laden applications distributed via Telegram to steal money from the bank cards of hundreds of citizens. The crime began with a complaint from a resident of Karmana district about the unauthorized withdrawal of 22 million soum from his spouse's bank card, prompting operational-search activities under the "Safe and Healthy Land" initiative.

Investigations revealed that the suspect, a 2004-born resident of Syrdarya region, was identified. He made false promises of income through Paynet, registered 9 individuals from various regions as sole proprietors, and then used their accounts to distribute malicious software via APK applications to citizens' phones and withdraw funds from bank cards.

During operational measures, officers from the Navoi Regional Department of Internal Affairs detained the suspect and uncovered 121 cybercrimes committed by him. It was reported that through virus applications on Telegram, he stole a total of over 2 billion soum from 201 citizens.

The criminal took a 5-7% commission from each transaction and spent the stolen funds on personal needs. Currently, a criminal case has been initiated against him under Part 3, paragraph "b" of Article 169 of the Criminal Code (Theft through unauthorized access or use of an information system), and a preventive measure of detention has been applied. This case highlights the ongoing efforts by authorities to combat cybercrime in Uzbekistan.

Source: www.gazeta.uz