Officers of the security forces are suspected in the kidnapping of Ismatulloev

The law enforcement agencies of Tajikistan have detained four former employees of the security forces on suspicion of the kidnapping of Shukhrat Ismatulloyev, the first deputy chairman of “Orionbank”.

Radio Ozodi, citing its sources close to the investigation, reports that the former officers of the security agencies “carried out the kidnapping of the banker together with seasoned criminals.”

It is reported that one of the detainees is a former employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Anti-Corruption Agency. A source close to Shukhrat Ismatulloyev’s family reported that “a certain former prosecutor has also been detained on suspicion of kidnapping the banker.”

It is also reported that the kidnappers used a vehicle with special license plates of the security forces, which “allowed the driver to travel at high speed and not comply with the demands of traffic police officers.”

“There were four kidnappers, but several other people are also involved in the kidnapping. For the Hyundai Sonata with tinted windows, in which the banker was kidnapped, the criminals prepared 11 license plates, mostly from vehicles of the security forces, which traffic inspectors usually do not stop. That is why the vehicle with tinted windows was not stopped for inspection at the traffic police post located on the exit from Dushanbe towards the Sughd region,” the source told Radio Ozodi.

In response to this report, social media users demanded that the authorities check all vehicles with tinted windows, as it is likely that employees of the security forces are committing dozens of crimes due to their immunity or broad powers, yet no one can detect them, or no one wants to.

However, it is unclear how seriously the authorities will take this suggestion.

On June 23, unknown individuals kidnapped Shukhrat Ismatulloyev, the first deputy chairman of “Orionbank”. According to official data, he was taken towards the Ayni district of the Sughd region. His fate is still unknown.

Also, the investigative authorities have not yet disclosed the reason for the kidnapping of the first deputy Hasan Asadullozoda, the brother-in-law of Emomali Rahmon.