ASTANA — Law enforcement dismantled 15 criminal groups and shut down 29 illegal cash-out platforms with a combined turnover exceeding 128 billion tenge (approximately US$270 million) in 2025, as President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was informed during a Jan. 12 meeting with Chairman of the Agency for Financial Monitoring Zhanat Elimanov.
Chairman of the Agency for Financial Monitoring Zhanat Elimanov and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Photo credit: Akorda.
During the meeting, Elimanov reported that investigators completed 1,135 criminal cases last year, securing compensation of 141.5 billion tenge (US$295 million) to victims.
According to the report, authorities disrupted 22 shadow cryptocurrency exchange operations used to launder proceeds from drug trafficking and fraud. More than 1,100 illegal online crypto-exchange services were blocked, along with around 20,000 drop cards used to legalize criminal proceeds.
Financial sector and budget protection
According to Elimanov, the financial sector terminated business relationships with 2,000 companies and 56,000 individuals suspected of money laundering. The agency also prevented unjustified budget expenditures on 53 infrastructure projects totaling 264.2 billion tenge (US$555 million).
Measures were also taken to prevent speculative price increases in the social coal market by uncovering a bribery scheme involving commodity exchange executives, who had received illegal payments totaling 2 billion tenge (US$4.3 million). In addition, authorities averted fuel shortages by exposing the illegal export of 102,000 tons of gasoline abroad.
Fighting shadow schemes and online risks
Tokayev was briefed on efforts to protect citizens from involvement in online casinos. Investigators uncovered criminal financial flows totaling 2.1 trillion tenge (US$4.5 billion), facilitated by 35 payment organizations.
The agency also identified violations in the use of subsoil resources, including the allocation of 625 land plots to 437 subsoil users who failed to conduct exploration activities, as well as the illegal extraction and export of more than 382,000 tons of minerals.
In the healthcare sector, systemic abuses were uncovered under the compulsory social health insurance system, including the artificial inflation of services provided worth 26 billion tenge (US$56 million). Some cases involved fictitious medical services reported for deceased individuals.
Following the meeting, President Tokayev issued a number of instructions focused on strengthening the agency’s work in combating financial crimes, protecting public funds, and reducing risks posed by shadow economic activities.
