In Kyrgyzstan, the court arrested the former deputy head of the customs service

The court in Bishkek arrested the former deputy head of the State Customs Service, Rayymbek Matraimov, until April 26. This is reported by Radio Azattyk.

The court session was held in closed session. Matraimov’s lawyer and relatives who came to the court refused to comment.

On the night of March 26, employees of the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan (GKNB) took Matraimov to Bishkek from Azerbaijan on a private plane. The department reported that he is suspected of illegal deprivation of liberty and laundering of criminal proceeds.

Along with Matraimov, his three brothers were also detained and taken to Bishkek. They were taken to Osh for investigative measures.

According to the investigation, Matraimov had a “close connection” with the previously killed criminal authority Kamchy Asanbek (Kolbaev), and also created a criminal group from among employees of the customs service and government officials.

In January 2024, the National Security Service declared Matraimov wanted as part of a criminal case under the article on illegal deprivation of liberty. Soon, the court imposed an arrest on 26 real estate objects allegedly belonging to Matraimov.

The name of Raiymbek Matraimov became widely known after a series of joint journalistic investigations by Radio Azattyk, Kloop and the Center for the Investigation of Corruption and Organized Crime (OCCRP) about corruption schemes in the State Customs Service, where he worked as deputy head in 2015-2017.

Three years later, in October 2020, Matraimov was accused of corruption. And then he admitted his guilt in court and was fined 260,000 soms. Before that, he contributed 2 billion soms to the country’s budget, part of which was in cash, and part was in the form of property.