Chief and workers of the NazoratUz Telegram publication are suspected of extorting money from owners of restaurants and fast food outlets.
The press service of the Tashkent police department said that three people were taken into custody on December 21 as part of a criminal case opened on December 18 under Extortion by prior collusion by a group of persons charge. These are chief editor, Zh. I., 44, and his subordinates O. M., 35, and Sh. S., 37.
In mid-January, a video footage appeared on social networks containing conversations between the alleged representatives of the publication and business people. The video showed that the publication's employees ordered food at restaurants and fast food outlets and added insects (flies, cockroaches) to it, after which they contacted the company's managers and said that they would make it public on their Telegram (with over 100 thousand subscribers) and YouTube (143 thousand subscribers) channels.
The video showed that in September last year, Zh. I. dressed up as an ambulance driver and recorded a video from an emergency medical care center, reporting that several people who had eaten meals at one of the Tashkent’s fast food outlets had been admitted there. Then, he reportedly sent the brand representatives materials stating that there was a fly in the food and blackmailed them by saying that he would publish the video if they did not pay.
An investigation is currently underway into this case, after which a trial is expected to take place.
