Police officers in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, have foiled an attempt to illegally sell two hectares of land for $9 million, arresting a group involved in the scheme.

A 73-year-old woman with a prior criminal record conspired with a 44-year-old accomplice to sell a non-residential plot in the Yunusabad district, The Caspian Post reports via Uzbek media.

Although the land legally belonged to a businessman and was under seizure (prohibiting any transactions), the suspects promised a buyer that they could reclassify the property as residential and complete all paperwork through high-ranking contacts.

The suspects were caught red-handed while receiving a $200,000 advance payment. Criminal charges have been filed under Articles 168 (large-scale fraud) and 211/28 (participation in bribery) of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code. Investigators are now working to identify any officials who may have been involved in the corrupt scheme.