Turkish national extradited to Kazakhstan over $13 million fraud

A Turkish national suspected of large-scale embezzlement has been extradited from Montenegro to Kazakhstan, according to the country’s General Prosecutor’s Office. 

Investigators allege that the suspect, while serving as head of a construction company, misappropriated more than 6 billion tenge ($13 million) that had been allocated for the construction of residential complexes in Almaty between 2022 and 2024. Authorities say the funds were siphoned off through fictitious contracts and transfers to affiliated entities, Caliber.Az reports via Kazakh media. 

After the alleged crimes were committed, the suspect is believed to have fled Kazakhstan, prompting the issuance of an international arrest warrant. Law enforcement officials later located and detained him in Montenegro in March 2025. Following legal procedures, he was extradited to Kazakhstan at the request of the Prosecutor General’s Office.

The suspect is currently being held in pretrial detention. If convicted, he faces a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison, along with confiscation of property.

By Sabina Mammadli