In Ust-Kamenogorsk, former deputy director of the branch of the State Corporation 'Government for Citizens' A.A. Rakhimzhanov and D.M. Nurtazin were sentenced to 4 years in prison. They were accused of organizing illegal gold mining at the Shybyndy site in Ulan District of the East Kazakhstan Region, reports infohub.kz.
According to the official Telegram channel of the Agency for Financial Monitoring, they used the controlled LLP 'EastGoldStone', which held a license exclusively for the exploration of solid minerals. Mining was carried out using heavy equipment — excavators, loaders, dump trucks, and washing equipment.
According to the AFM, the volume of illegally mined gold exceeded 15 kg, with a value of more than 844 million tenge. During the investigation, 6.7 kg of gold and 579 grams of silver worth 382 million tenge were seized.
This activity caused significant environmental damage. The area of land damage was 18.2 hectares. In addition, trees and shrubs belonging to the state forest fund were destroyed and damaged during the illegal activity. The cost of work required to remediate the environmental damage exceeded 300 million tenge.
The court confiscated property worth 372 million tenge — 4 trucks, 2 excavators, 2 loaders, a dredge, as well as cash in the amount of 10 million tenge and 56 thousand US dollars.
The verdict has not entered into legal force.
Recall that last year it became known that the AFM Department for the East Kazakhstan Region, together with the prosecutor's office and the National Security Committee, uncovered illegal mining of precious metals and unauthorized use of subsoil in the Shybyndy River valley of Ulan District. During the search, 6.7 kg of gold and silver worth 382 million tenge were seized. The organizer was placed in custody.