Law enforcement agencies are conducting a pre-investigation probe against 73-year-old businessman Salim Abduvaliev, aka Salimbay and Salimboyvachcha, Kun.uz reported with reference to a source.
Since January 2017, Salim Abduvaliev has been the deputy chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan and the head of the Wrestling Association.
Uznews.uz reported that Salim Abduvaliev was arrested on the evening of December 1 by a special unit.
His Instagram page with 135 thousand subscribers has been apparently deleted.
Earlier it was also reported that the first vice-president of the Professional Boxing Federation of Uzbekistan, Gafur Rakhimov, has been put on wanted list. The Kun.uz source did not confirm this information.
The Tashkent city police department earlier announced large-scale raids in Tashkent agaisnts street gangs and crime groups. Operations were reported aimed at improving the crime situation in the capital, the department added.
The other day, the department officers arrested Saidaziz Saidaliev, aka Saidaziz of Medical Town. According to the department, he and several other people were taken into custody as suspects in an extortion case. It is reported that they kicked off debts from people for money.
Law enforcement officers also arrested Bakhtiyor Kudratullayev, aka Bakhti of Tashkent. Two more persons suspected of extortion on an especially large scale were also arrested. They all face up to 15 years in prison.
It is yet not clear what has triggered the crackdown on the above persons, as they had long been in good relations with the authorities.
