Law enforcement officers in Tashkent’s Mirobod district have dismantled two clandestine call centers linked to illegal financial operations and online fraud, detaining 72 people and estimating the turnover of crypto-assets passing through the alleged schemes at $576,000, according to the Tashkent city police department.
Key Takeaways: The two centers were allegedly involved in illegal transfers for underground online casinos and bookmakers and in romance-style online fraud. Police seized cash, laptops, hundreds of mobile phones, Starlink terminals, and Wi-Fi routers, while a criminal case was opened under Article 278 on violations in crypto-asset turnover. The investigation is continuing, and officials urged property owners to verify tenants and formalize rental contracts.
The first facility was found in a house on Farg‘ona Street, rented for $9,000, where 52 people were present. According to police data, they carried out illegal transfers to bank cards in the interests of underground online casinos and betting businesses. During the search, officers seized $110,000 in cash, 71 laptops, 278 mobile phones, and three Starlink satellite internet terminals.
The second call center was identified on Katta Mirobod Street in premises rented for $2,000, where another 20 people were working. Investigators say this group used a different scheme: its members allegedly posed as women online, met men, gained their trust, and then extracted money under various pretexts. Police seized 24 laptops, a tablet, 52 mobile phones, and four Wi-Fi routers.
The case reflects growing official attention in Uzbekistan to unregulated digital payments, crypto-asset circulation, and call-center-based fraud schemes. The police said both groups had a clear division of duties among leaders, managers, operators, and guards, an organizational structure typical of larger illegal operations rather than ad hoc groups. The combined crypto-asset turnover connected to the two centers was estimated at $576,000.
A criminal case has been opened under Article 278 of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code, which covers violations of legislation in the sphere of crypto-asset turnover. The Tashkent city police department also called on owners of real estate to check what their tenants are doing and to officially formalize lease agreements, highlighting how rented apartments and offices can be used for illicit financial activity.
The operation follows an earlier case in Tashkent’s Yakkasaray district, where another underground call center was identified and 23 foreign nationals were found without the necessary documents. As the investigation into the Mirobod centers continues, authorities are expected to examine financial flows, identify possible organizers and beneficiaries, and clarify whether the two groups were connected to wider online gambling or fraud networks.
Source: podrobno.uz