A chilling murder-for-hire plot has been foiled in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where police say a 39-year-old man attempted to arrange the killing of his own wife.

The police officers disrupted the plan before it could be carried out. Investigators revealed the motive stemmed from a personal conflict - the suspect had been living with two families, The Caspian Post reports via Uzbek media.

The situation escalated after one of the women discovered the existence of the second family. Tensions grew into frequent disputes, with the suspect claiming he was being pressured and threatened over family and health-related issues involving their children.

In response, the man sought out a hitman and offered $10,000 to carry out the murder, choosing strangulation as the method. He reportedly handed over an advance payment of $2,000.

However, law enforcement intervened before the crime could take place. The suspected hitman was detained early and agreed to cooperate with investigators to help apprehend the person who ordered the crime.

On April 20, police carried out the final stage of the operation, presenting the suspect with staged photos suggesting the murder had been completed. Believing the plan was successful, he handed over the remaining payment and was immediately arrested.

A criminal case has been opened on charges of intentional murder.