As part of a major corruption investigation into the state-sponsored labor migration system sending workers from Uzbekistan to South Korea, Colonel Alijon Ashurov, the former head of the State Security Service's (DXX) Internal Security Department, has been arrested.
The sweeping investigation initially led to the detention of Ganchar Uzoqov, a former SSS officer holding the rank of lieutenant colonel. Following his arrest, Colonel Alijon Ashurov, his deputy Temur Shorikhsiev, and several other SSS personnel were taken into custody. Some suspects, however, were released following interrogation.
For years, massive illicit fees and bribes were systematically extorted from individuals seeking employment in South Korea through state programs. Some citizens were reportedly forced to pay anywhere between $4,000 and $10,000 just to be included on the deployment lists for South Korea.
On May 14, the Department for Combating Economic Crimes under the General Prosecutor's Office issued an official statement regarding the case, revealing that the total volume of illicitly collected funds may have reached nearly $90 million.
Azizbek Toshtemirov, who served as a department head at the Agency for Foreign Labor Migration, has been placed on an Interpol wanted list. Furthermore, Muzaffar Nurmatov, a curator within the SSS Internal Security Investigation Department named as another key figure in the case, has reportedly fled the country.
The General Prosecutor's Office stated that, to date, petitions have been received from more than 600 citizens who paid the illicit fees but were never deployed to South Korea.
This sweeping case once again brings to the forefront pressing questions regarding deeply entrenched corruption schemes within the state-sponsored labor migration system and the complicity of high-ranking officials.
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