Three regions have been targeted by people who threatened to distribute private photos and videos of citizens and tried to extort money

In three regions, individuals were detained who were trying to extort money by threatening to distribute private photos and videos of citizens. Criminal cases were initiated in connection with these cases that occurred in Jizzakh, Surkhandarya and Namangan regions.

**Situation in Jizzakh region:**

According to the Jizzakh regional Department of Internal Affairs, a citizen born in 1988, living in Gallaorol district, appealed to the internal affairs bodies. He said that a person born in 1995 in Naryn district, currently engaged in business in the city of Jizzakh, threatened to distribute photos and correspondence related to his personal life on the Internet and to his close relatives. In return, he was required to repay a total of 9 million soums in loan debts. During the operational operation, the suspect was detained in a procedural manner. The mobile phone with video footage and correspondence stored in it was taken from him as evidence. Currently, the case is being investigated and measures are being taken to initiate a criminal case under Article 165 of the Criminal Code.

**Situation in Surkhandarya region:**

In a case identified in the Jarkurgan district of Surkhandarya region, a citizen reported that a man using the Instagram account “Diyarobonu 67” threatened to send her personal videos to her husband working in Russia and demanded 2 million soums in return. During an operational operation held on July 15, the suspect who managed the account, born in 2000, was detained with material evidence while receiving 1 million soums of the demanded money. During the investigation, another person was identified who had previously threatened the woman with distributing his videos and forced her to have sex. It turned out that he was a citizen born in 2002 with a previous conviction. It was revealed that he forced the woman to have sex several times and extorted 4 grams of gold earrings and $100 from her in exchange for not distributing the videos. Criminal cases were initiated under Part 1 of Article 165 of the Criminal Code in both cases.

**Situation in Namangan region:**

In the Chust district of Namangan region, a citizen born in 2000 threatened a woman born in 2004 with showing her confidential photos and videos to her relatives and distributing them on social networks. In return, he demanded that the woman give him an iPhone. During the raid, the suspect was caught with physical evidence while taking the phone from the victim in one of the canteens in Chust district. The investigation department of the Chust district internal affairs department has opened a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 165 of the Criminal Code, and investigative actions are currently underway.

Earlier, a brother and sister were detained for extorting money from a cottage sale. They bought a house, paid a certain amount, but refused to give the remaining funds, putting pressure on the owner of the house.