A key member of a transnational criminal group involved in illegal business activities has been extradited from Russia to Kazakhstan.

The suspect, a Kazakh citizen, was returned with the assistance of Kazakhstan’s embassy in Russia through cooperation between the General Prosecutor’s Office and Interpol of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

He faces criminal charges for engaging in illegal business operations as part of the transnational group.

Investigators determined that in 2023, the suspect illegally stored and transported excise goods (cigarettes) across Kazakhstan without identification marks, intending to export them to Russia for sale. The scheme deprived the Kazakh budget of over 1 billion tenge in excise taxes.

After committing the crime, the suspect fled the country and was placed on the international wanted list. In April 2025, he was detained in Russia and extradited to Kazakhstan at the request of the General Prosecutor’s Office. He is now held in a pre-trial detention facility.

Under Kazakh law, the crime carries a penalty of up to 12 years in prison with property confiscation.