Over 700 tons of metal attempted to be illegally exported from Kazakhstan

Tengrinews.kz – A criminal scheme to smuggle strategic raw materials abroad has been disrupted in the Zhetysu region, according to Polisia.kz.
Despite a current ban on the export of certain types of scrap metal, attempts are still being made to illegally move them across the border.

"Measures taken by the Organized Crime Unit of the Zhetysu regional police, in cooperation with the prosecutor's office, stopped the illegal operations of a company that, without proper permits, organized the unauthorized collection and processing of non-ferrous metals. By falsifying information in shipping documents, they repeatedly attempted to export these materials out of the country. During searches at the facility, more than 600 tons of smelted lead and over 100 tons of aluminum, prepared for export, as well as scrap non-ferrous metals, were seized," the statement says.

Authorities also shut down an underground smelting workshop and a lab used for preliminary metal analysis.
In addition, illegal migrant workers were detained at the site and are now being held accountable under the law.

"A pre-trial investigation is underway to identify the ultimate beneficiaries of the criminal scheme. Work in this direction continues," the report adds.