Police in Uzbekistan's capital Tashkent have arrested two men suspected of carrying out kidnappings on the orders of an unidentified individual.

One victim managed to escape after being forcibly put into a car, while the suspects reportedly planned to abduct another man using a stun gun, according to Podrobno.uz.

Officers from the Department of Operational Investigative Activities detained two Tashkent residents following a complaint from one of the victims. Both suspects had previous convictions for theft.

During a search of their vehicle, police discovered an axe in the trunk and seized it as evidence.

An examination of the suspects' mobile phones revealed Telegram correspondence with a customer. The messages indicated that the individual had instructed them to deliver the first victim by any means necessary and then abduct another man.

The suspects planned to use a stun gun to incapacitate the second target if he resisted before taking him to a specified address. They reportedly waited near his workplace for around four hours but postponed the operation after learning that he had left on a business trip.

In a video released by the authorities, one of the detainees claimed that the messages about using a stun gun were intended as a joke.

Criminal cases have been opened against both suspects under Article 137 of Uzbekistan's Criminal Code, which covers kidnapping under aggravating circumstances.