In Tashkent, a police officer has been criminally convicted after taking bribes to act as a "protector" for sex workers. According to the court verdict, S.B.,33, served as a senior community police inspector at police station No. 4 under the Yakkasaroy District Police Department.
He demanded a monthly bribe of $400 from a woman renting an apartment within his assigned territory, promising in exchange not to take legal action against the sex workers who were running a brothel at an apartment in the district's Damariq neighborhood.
In return for the money, the inspector promised to act as their "protector," guaranteeing he would tip them off before law enforcement agencies conducted any "Oriyat" (Decency) anti-prostitution sweeps.
On November 28, 2025, S.B. was caught red-handed during a sting operation conducted by the State Security Service (SSS) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Internal Security Department for Tashkent City while accepting the $400 bribe from the plaintiff. He was placed in pre-trial detention that same day.
In court, S.B. pled partially guilty and claimed he had never taken money from the plaintiff before.
"This was the first time I ever took money from her," S.B. testified. "Before this, I had never interacted with her. I never used their services. The only reason I asked the plaintiff about the young girls was to find out if any minors were involved.
"I asked for the $400 strictly for my own personal needs. I did not demand a bribe in exchange for protection or for agreeing not to file an administrative citation. I didn't even have any legal grounds to file a citation against them. It was the plaintiff herself who offered me a bribe in exchange for tipping them off about upcoming anti-prostitution raids."
He went on to claim that accepting the money was a lapse in judgment, expressed remorse for his actions, and pleaded with the court for leniency.
The plaintiff’s testimony painted a completely different picture. She testified that the community police inspector frequently took advantage of the sex workers' "services" in exchange for turning a blind eye.
"To give us a safe space to operate—meaning he would tip us off about raids and promise not to file citations—he would come over from time to time and have sex with the girls," she testified. "On top of that, he would randomly say he needed cash and take anywhere from 200,000 soums to $400 from me.
Around mid-summer of 2025, the girls handed over the keys to their rented apartment and moved elsewhere, which is when my contact with S.B. broke off. Then, in early November 2025, some girls I knew rented a house and moved back into the Yakkasaroy district. I contacted S.B. to let him know the girls had moved back into his area. S.B. told me he was currently on annual leave but would be returning to work soon."
"Around November 25, he told me he was back on duty and asked me to drop by his office. I went there, and during our conversation, S.B. explicitly stated that he would protect the girls' business and tip them off ahead of any raids. He also mentioned that he would like to come over sometimes to unwind. I told him he could visit whenever he wanted and then left.
However, the very next day, other community police inspectors showed up at the apartment. When I told S.B. about this, he called me back to his office. When I arrived, he told me that if I wanted his protection for the girls, I would have to pay him $400 every month," the plaintiff testified.
The Verdict
By a ruling of the Mirabad District Criminal Court dated April 23, 2026, S.B. was found guilty of committing the offense stipulated under Part 1 of Article 210 of the Criminal Code (Taking a Bribe). He was sentenced to four years in prison. Additionally, S.B. has been barred from working within the internal affairs system for a period of two years.
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