A group suspected of organizing illegal gold mining has been shut down in the Zharma District of the Abai Region. The operation was carried out by the Abai Region Department of the Agency for Financial Monitoring, coordinated with prosecutors, the website infohub.kz reports.
According to investigators, the illegal work was being conducted 10 km from the village of Zhangiztobe without the required permit. Gold-bearing ore was extracted by open-pit method and washed using specialized equipment, the Agency for Financial Monitoring said in its official Telegram channel.
An inspection of the site revealed a pit 15 meters deep. According to the agency, the volume of illegally extracted rock mass exceeded 12,000 cubic meters, and the area of damaged topsoil exceeded 4,000 square meters.
Nine individuals linked to the operation were identified during investigative measures.
Equipment for washing and crushing ore, seven bags containing gold, two metal detectors, two loaders and an excavator were seized from the illegal mining site.
The investigation is ongoing. Under Article 201 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, no further information may be disclosed.