Uzbekistan’s Department for Combating Economic Crimes says it has uncovered a large-scale fraud and corruption scheme linked to labour migration to South Korea, with estimated damages reaching $90 million.
According to investigators, the operation involved former employees of the Agency for External Labour Migration - now the Migration Agency - as well as former officials from private recruitment companies.
Authorities say members of the group illegally collected large sums of money from Uzbek citizens by promising employment opportunities in South Korea.
Investigators said that, alongside official fees, members of the scheme charged migrants between $7,000 and $12,000 for assistance with overseas employment.
During the initial investigation, officials found that the group had illegally obtained more than $263,500 from 35 citizens. However, the investigation later revealed a far wider alleged fraud.
In one case cited by prosecutors, more than 230 citizens reportedly paid a combined $580,000 for supposed employment assistance. In another, around 1,000 migrants allegedly paid a total of $5.6 million.
Authorities say more than 600 citizens who paid money ultimately failed to travel to South Korea for work.
The Prosecutor General’s Office has urged all potential victims to contact law enforcement through a special hotline, adding that the identities of applicants will remain confidential.
Meanwhile, former head of Uzbekistan’s migration office in South Korea, Azizbek Toshtemirov, has been placed on an international wanted list through Interpol.
According to information published on the Interpol website, Toshtemirov is wanted on fraud charges. The Migration Agency said he previously headed the agency’s South Korea representative office and was dismissed in March 2025 over various violations.
The wanted notice follows the wider investigation into the alleged labour migration corruption network.
Authorities also reported uncovering another migration-related fraud scheme in Surkhandarya Region.
According to investigators, the previously convicted founder of a private educational institution and several accomplices promised six residents employment opportunities in South Korea.
The suspects allegedly received a combined $408,800 from victims. Criminal proceedings have been launched under Uzbekistan’s fraud legislation.
Officials said investigations into both cases are ongoing.
Iran has rejected as “irrelevant” a UN nuclear watchdog resolution referring its nuclear file to the UN Security Council, arguing that ...
Georgia’s busiest sea gateway has reached its capacity limit, adding urgency to plans for a major expansion of Poti port as the country seeks...
Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, ...
Four people were killed, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region. Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Russian military ships were destroyed in the attacks.
Wildfires have broken out in Türkiye’s Antalya province, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate as strong winds fuelled the flames.
A TV channel was struck during a live broadcast on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Russian strikes on Kyiv killed at least three people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Meanwhile, drones hit civilian infrastructure in Russia's southwestern Saratov region.
Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, explosions were heard across parts of southern Iran according to local media reports.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly launched two ballistic missile attacks against a U.S. Navy warship over the past two days.
Iran has rejected as “irrelevant” a UN nuclear watchdog resolution referring its nuclear file to the UN Security Council, arguing that U.S. and Israeli strikes on sites under verification were the main reason inspections were halted.
Georgia’s busiest sea gateway has reached its capacity limit, adding urgency to plans for a major expansion of Poti port as the country seeks to strengthen its role in the Middle Corridor trade route between Asia and Europe.
Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, explosions were heard across parts of southern Iran according to local media reports.
Saudi Arabia’s outbound travel market could surge from around $35 billion to more than $60 billion by 2030-2034, driven by a young generation of high-spending travellers and intensifying competition among global destinations.
Kabul could become the first modern city in the world to run out of water by 2029, the UK head of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has warned following a week-long visit to Afghanistan.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment